APHC calls for strike and march on July 13
Kashmiris to continue struggle until fulfillment of martyrs’ mission: Masarrat Aalam, others
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has urged the Kashmiri people to observe July 13 (Saturday) as Kashmir Martyrs’ Day with a complete strike in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, incarcerated APHC leaders including its Chairman Masarrat Alam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, and Naeem Ahmad Khan, issued a joint statement from Tihar Jail in New Delhi, calling for the strike. They emphasized the strike aims to highlight the urgent need for a peaceful and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
They urged people to march towards the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib, Srinagar, on this day, to pray for the martyrs of July 13, 1931 buried there. The leaders underscored that the Kashmiri people will never forget the sacrifices of all martyrs, including those of July 13, who laid down their lives for the sake of freedom. Masarrat Aalam Butt and others highlighted that the Kashmiris are offering sacrificing for a noble cause and that the day is not far when they will achieve freedom from India’s illegal occupation.
They reiterate that Kashmiris continue to resist India’s illegal occupation, which persists with over a million Indian troops, subjecting Kashmiris to oppression. They stressed that the sacrifices of the July 13 martyrs symbolize the ongoing struggle for dignity and justice for humanity. They paid homage to the July 13, 1931 martyrs, affirming that Kashmiris will persist in their struggle for freedom from Indian occupation at any cost.
Meanwhile, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement issued in Srinagar also ured freedom-loving Kashmiris to march towards the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Naqshband Sahib, Srinagar, on July 13th to honour the martyrs. He stated that the march aims to send a clear message to India that the people of Jammu and Kashmir reject its forced occupation and believe in a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute based on UN resolutions.
On July 13, 1931, Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh’s troops fatally shot dead 22 Kashmiris. Those martyred were among thousands gathered outside Srinagar Central Jail to attend the court proceedings against one Abdul Qadeer, who had called on the Kashmiri people to defy the Dogra rule. When a Kashmiri youth began the call to prayer (Azaan) for Zuhr prayer, Dogra soldiers shot and killed him. Another person who attempted to complete the Azaan was also shot dead. Thus, 22 Kashmiris sacrificed their lives before the call to prayer could be completed.
