Srinagar, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has paid tributes to Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone, and the martyrs of the Hawal incident on the eve of their martyrdom anniversaries in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. These remembrances honor leaders and civilians who have become symbols of the struggle for Kashmiri self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq was assassinated at his home on May 21, 1990, by unidentified gunmen. His funeral procession in the Hawal area of Srinagar later that day was met with violence from Indian troops, resulting in the deaths of seventy mourners. Twelve years following Farooq’s assassination, on the same date in 2002, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone was killed by unknown attackers after he spoke at a gathering in the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar.
APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement from Srinagar, emphasized that the vision of Farooq and Lone for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict should guide future efforts. He criticized the use of force and intimidation by Indian authorities, which he claimed only serves to exacerbate the conflict. Minhas also highlighted the continued suppression of Kashmiri voices through stringent security measures and restrictions on public expressions of dissent.
Further, APHC leader Farida Behanji echoed these sentiments, affirming the Kashmiri commitment to continue the struggle for self-determination as envisioned by the martyred leaders. Events are scheduled to take place in both Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan, on May 21 to mark these anniversaries.
Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, the APHC-AJK Convenor, stated from Islamabad that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs will not be in vain, pledging that the freedom movement will persist until it achieves its goals.