Muzaffarabad, In a significant display of protest, a rally was organized in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, voicing strong opposition to India’s ongoing repressive measures in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The event highlighted the enduring resistance against Indian policies and actions perceived as aggressive and unjust by the participants.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demonstration, arranged by Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, a body representing post-1989 migrants from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), saw substantial participation. Starting from the Central Press Club and concluding at Gharipan Chowk, the rally brought together prominent figures including Pasban-e-Hurriyat chairman Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, Jamaat-e-Islami district president Raja Mohammad Aftab Khan, and PPP central leader Shaukat Javed Mir, alongside a significant number of post-1989 refugees and Muzaffarabad citizens. Protesters, wielding black flags and voicing slogans, condemned the Indian occupation and advocated for the territory’s freedom.
Speakers at the rally critically addressed the Modi-led government’s 2019 decision to revoke IIOJK’s special status, marking it as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and an illegitimate attempt to alter the disputed region’s status. They accused India of maintaining an occupation force in Kashmir and employing unilateral actions that fail to alter the territory’s internationally recognized disputed status.
The rally’s discourse emphasized that despite India’s efforts since August 5, 2019, the spirit and morale of the Kashmiri people remain unbroken, highlighting their continued resistance against what they view as colonial and militaristic tactics by the BJP-led government aimed at eroding Kashmiri identity, culture, and rights.
Participants criticized the suppression of free expression in Kashmir, the banning of religious and pro-freedom organizations, and the incarceration of Hurriyat leaders and activists, urging the United Nations to intervene in accordance with its resolutions on the Kashmir dispute. The rally also paid homage to those who have lost their lives in the struggle for Kashmir’s freedom and lauded the resilience of detained Kashmiri leaders and activists.
This rally in Muzaffarabad stands as a renewed call for international attention to the Kashmir issue, underscoring the local and diasporic Kashmiri community’s commitment to seeking self-determination and resisting Indian dominion.