Muzaffarabad: In the context of the “Freedom for Kashmir and Palestine Campaign,” organized by Pasban-e-Hurriyat , a march took place on the Srinagar Highway Muzaffarabad with significant participation from the city’s residents.
Protests were staged against the occupation of both Indian-administered Kashmir and Israel, with calls for decisive actions to secure the freedom of the occupied territories. According to reports, the second program in the series, under the banner of “Freedom for Kashmir and Palestine Campaign,” was held in Jhelum Valley. Political and religious leaders, traders, and members of civil society, along with a large number of people, participated in the event, waving flags of Pakistan, Kashmir, and Palestine. Banners were raised with slogans advocating the freedom of Kashmir and Palestine.
Participants in the rally chanted slogans such as “Indian occupiers, leave Jammu and Kashmir,” “The Kashmir irrigated with blood is ours,” and “Down with Israel, down with Israel,” expressing strong sentiments against the oppressive actions in these regions. The rally participants also raised voices in support of freedom, chanting slogans like “Free Kashmir, free Kashmir” and “Free, free Palestine.”
Addressing the rally, Chairman of Pasban-e-Hurriyat , Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, along with leaders such as Osman Ali Hashim, Muhammad Shafqat Khokhar, expressed concerns about the oppression faced by the people of Kashmir at the hands of the Indian government. They highlighted the sacrifices made by over a hundred thousand citizens, including martyrs, orphans, and widowed women, in their quest for freedom and rights.
The leaders accused the Indian forces of carrying out deadly attacks, resulting in the targeting of thousands of Kashmiri children, girls, and young people. They also mentioned the abduction of ten thousand Kashmiri civilians from their homes, who were allegedly later declared dead and buried in unmarked graves by Indian forces.
The speakers mentioned specific individuals, including Masarat Alam Butt, Yasin Malik, Asia Andrabi, and Fahmida Sufi, among others, who they claimed were still imprisoned in Indian jails. They also accused India of attempting to change the Muslim majority in Jammu and Kashmir into a minority.
The leaders stated that India, through its military presence, is attempting to annex Kashmir forcibly and oppress the people. They called for international bodies, including the United Nations, the Security Council, and the OIC, to intervene and prevent both India and Israel from engaging in acts of terrorism. The leaders urged the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the grant of the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the establishment of peace in the Middle East and South Asia.