Brussels, A solemn assembly in Brussels paid homage to Kashmiri martyrs Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru, marking their martyrdom anniversaries. The tribute, organized by the Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) at its central secretariat, drew participants who remembered the sacrifices of Butt and Guru for the Kashmiri liberation struggle.
According to Kashmir Media Service, KC-EU Chairman Ali Raza Syed led the commemoration, lauding the unparalleled commitment of Butt and Guru to the freedom movement of Jammu and Kashmir. “We cannot forget our martyrs,” Syed stated, reflecting on the profound impact of their sacrifices. The event saw the participation of prominent community members and activists including Dr. Manzoor Zahoor, Khalid Joshi, and Sardar Mahmood Qabal among others.
Syed emphasized the need for the Indian government to return the remains of Butt and Guru to their families for a dignified burial in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He argued that their martyrdom illuminates the path for those advocating for the right to self-determination in the region, despite allegations surrounding their executions being contested as unjust.
Highlighting the circumstances of their deaths, the KC-EU Chairman criticized the Indian authorities for what he described as the unjust execution of Afzal Guru in relation to a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament and the hanging of Maqbool Butt in 1984 for his role in the freedom movement. Both individuals remain interred in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, a point of contention for Kashmiri activists and their supporters.
Syed also spoke out against India’s tactics in occupied Kashmir, stating that violence and military imposition cannot quell the peaceful aspirations of Kashmiris for self-determination, a right recognized by United Nations Security Council resolutions and promised by Indian authorities.
The gathering in Brussels underscores the ongoing international advocacy for Kashmiri rights and the remembrance of figures like Butt and Guru, whose legacies continue to inspire the movement for freedom in Jammu and Kashmir.