–Day marked with protest rallies in all small and major towns across liberated territory
–AJK PM demands UN fact-finding commission to assess human rights situation in held Kashmir
MUZAFFARABAD: In Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), people on Saturday observed the Indian Republic Day as a black day to register a strong protest against the continued forced illegal occupation of a large part of the Jammu and Kashmir State by India.
The Indian Republic Day was marked with protest rallies in all small and major towns across the liberated territory.
The day was marked as a black day on the appeal of the state government and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) recalling the United Nations (UN) and other international forums to ensure the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir in accordance with the resolutions of United Nations India Pakistan Commission (UNICP).
In capital Muzaffarabad, a protest procession followed by a rally was organised by Pasban-i-Hurriyat – a held Kashmir refugee organization – at Azadi Chouk. The protesters raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans and marched towards UN Observers Mission office demanding action against Indian brutalities.
Speaking on the occasion, Pasban-i-Hurriyat Chairman Uzair Ahmad Ghazali said that India was trying to sabotage the basic rights of the people in Kashmir through draconian laws but had miserably failed to suppress the peaceful movement for liberation.
“The country that claims to be the largest democracy in the world is indeed a tyrant committing the worst type of atrocities even against women and children,” Ghazali said, adding that all pro-freedom political leadership was in prison for raising voice against human rights abuses while dozens of youngsters had been killed as well.
He said by observing the Indian Republic Day as a black day, the people of Jammu and Kashmir had told the world that the disputed territory was not an integral part of India and its future deserves to be decided by the people through right to self-determination.
Another leader of the organisation, Abdul Aziz Alvi, while addressing the rally said India was falsely demonstrating itself as a democratic country when in reality, the minorities living there had been deprived of basic rights.
Mushtaqul Islam, Advocate Shazia Kiani and other leaders also spoke on the occasion and demanded the international community to take cognizance of the deteriorated situation of India Held Kashmir (IHK).
AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan also addressed an official function organised by Kashmir Liberation Cell at the Central Press Club and demanded from the UN to send a fact-finding commission to assess the human rights abuses as per the recommendations of UN Human Rights Commission in held Kashmir.
Haider said India was targeting civilian population across the Line of Control (LOC) in AJK to divert the attention from the atrocities being committed by its forces in the held valley and terrorise the people but their morale was high as always.
He also reiterated his commitment to continue supporting the struggle of people in Jammu and Kashmir at all political, democratic and diplomatic fronts and urged people from all walks of life to highlight Indian atrocities through conventional and social media to catch the attention of the international community.
The AJK premier demanded from the federal government to directly raise the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council and send a parliamentary delegation comprising all leaders from all political parties to forcefully present its opinion at the forum.
He emphasised restructuring the national policy on Kashmir with the consultation of all political leaders and said unanimity was the needed to confront the enemy at international fronts and revive national economy.
Haider warned that if India resorted to any aggression against Pakistan, the people of AJK would fight shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces to safeguard the territory.
