Muzaffarabad: In a powerful demonstration of dissent, a large-scale anti-India rally took place in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, coinciding with India’s Independence Day, which was marked as a black day by protesters.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the rally, organized by Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, was led by Kashmiri leaders Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, and Mushtaqul Islam. Demonstrators expressed their rejection of Indian rule in occupied Jammu and Kashmir through black flags, banners, and the burning of effigies representing Indian political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The speakers at the event criticized the ongoing Indian occupation, which they claim has persisted for 70 years, severely impacting the Kashmiri people’s human, political, social, and religious freedoms. They accused India of employing harsh laws to suppress Kashmir’s independence movement and of detaining local leaders, activists, and journalists unjustly.
The rally unfolded along the city’s main highway, drawing a significant turnout from the local population, all united in their call for freedom from Indian dominance and their commitment to continue their resistance.