Muzaffarabad, A significant prayer meeting was held in Muzaffarabad to commemorate the martyrdom anniversaries of Muhammad Afzal Guru and Muhammad Maqbool Butt, organized by the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights. The event remembered the contributions of Guru and Butt to the Kashmir freedom movement and their executions by India, sparking calls for international attention to human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the prayer meeting highlighted the execution of Muhammad Afzal Guru on February 9, 2013, and Muhammad Maqbool Butt on February 11, 1984, in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, as a part of their involvement in the Kashmir freedom movement. Their bodies remain within the jail premises, a poignant symbol of their sacrifice.
Mushtaqul Islam, Vice Chairman of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, spoke at the event, emphasizing the enduring legacy of Guru and Butt’s sacrifices for the Kashmir cause. He affirmed that the martyrs’ dedication to the freedom movement would not be forgotten and vowed that their mission would succeed.
The meeting also served as a platform for condemning ongoing human rights abuses by the Indian government in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, described by speakers as having been transformed into a vast prison. Calls were made to the United Nations and international human rights bodies to intervene and halt India’s state-sponsored terrorism in the region.
The gathering saw participation from a diverse group, including notable figures such as Muhammad Sultan, Muhammad Ahmad Shah, Raja Muhammad Aslam, alongside members of civil society and students, uniting in remembrance and solidarity for the cause of Kashmiri freedom.