MUZAFFARABAD: Different political parties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) organized rallies and protest demonstrations on Saturday to observe “Kashmir Exploitation Day,” commemorating the day in 2019 when the Indian government abolished the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and imposed a siege on the region to suppress the peaceful struggle for self-determination.
A special sitting of the AJK legislative assembly was held on this occasion to condemn India’s unilateral acts and gross human rights abuses in the region. Legislators, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ul Haq, also staged a protest rally in front of the Supreme Court building and marched to the UN observer’s office to hand over a memorandum urging the UN to implement its resolutions on Kashmir.
A large protest rally was organized in front of the Press Club, attended by leaders of major political groups of AJK. Speakers condemned India’s actions, including the withdrawal of special status and the repeal of citizenship laws to alter the demography of the Muslim-majority region for ulterior motives.
Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, a refugee organization of 1989, also held a protest procession where hundreds of women, children, youths, and elders gathered at Gharipan Chowk, declaring August 5 as a “Black Day” and “Exploitation Day” for the people of Kashmir.
Protesters Demand Kashmir Liberation from India
Protestors marched on the main highway carrying black flags and handed over five resolutions of condemnation regarding Indian illegal acts in occupied Jammu and Kashmir to the United Nations’ Military Observer Group of India and Pakistan.
They raised slogans against the Indian government and army, demanding freedom for Kashmir and the annulment of Indian actions on August 5, 2019, according to UN Security Council resolutions. They also called for an end to the brutal confiscation of Kashmiri lands.
To depict the difficulties faced by the Kashmiri people living under a military presence, protestors symbolically handcuffed themselves. Speakers emphasized that India’s actions on August 5, 2019, disregarded UN Security Council resolutions and challenged the peace in South Asia, disregarding Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue.
The speakers expressed regret over the international community’s silence on the grave human rights violations in Kashmir and pledged to continue the struggle for the state’s independence from Indian occupation.
At the conclusion of the rally, a delegation led by Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir presented resolutions to the United Nations observers, urging them to address the deteriorating situation in IIOJ&K.
The rally was led by Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Uzair Ahmed Ghazali and included participation from various Hurriyat leaders and representatives of the Kashmir Liberation Commission and other political figures.
