Srinagar, A complete shutdown was observed today in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to commemorate the 40th martyrdom anniversary of the prominent Kashmiri leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt. The shutdown marked a significant moment of remembrance and protest against Indian rule in the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the shutdown came in response to calls from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, and other Hurriyat parties. These groups united in their demand for recognition of Butt’s sacrifice and the ongoing struggle for Kashmiri freedom. Muhammad Maqbool Butt was executed in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984, recognized for his pivotal role in advocating for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, and was subsequently buried within the prison grounds.
Leaders from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, including Mohammad Yousuf Naqash, Fayaz Hussain Jafari, and Syed Sibte Shabbir Qummi, paid glowing tributes to Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru, who was commemorated on his 11th martyrdom anniversary. They hailed the martyrs as genuine heroes and invaluable assets of the freedom movement, emphasizing that their sacrifices symbolize the Kashmiri people’s resistance against Indian domination.
The APHC leaders affirmed their commitment to continuing the struggle initiated by Butt and other martyrs with increased determination and vigor. They proclaimed that achieving freedom from Indian control is essential for ending the sufferings of the Kashmiri people.
In a show of solidarity and remembrance, APHC-AJK chapter Convener Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, along with leaders such as Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Muhammad Sultan Butt, Qazi Imran, and Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, issued statements commemorating Muhammad Maqbool Butt. They criticized the Indian government and judiciary for Butt’s execution without a fair trial or the opportunity for defense.
Throughout the territory, posters featuring Muhammad Maqbool Butt, Muhammad Afzal Guru, and other Kashmiri martyrs were displayed, carrying messages that reiterated the Kashmiris’ determination to pursue their freedom movement to its logical conclusion. The widespread observance of the shutdown and the display of posters throughout IIOJK underscored the deep-rooted desire for self-determination and resistance against Indian rule among the Kashmiri population.