APHC-AJK marks Pakistan Defence Day, pays glowing tributes to 1965 martyrs
Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter organized a special event at its office in Islamabad to mark Pakistan’s Defence Day.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the event was presided over by senior Hurriyat leader Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, while renowned military analyst General (R) Javed Aslam Tahir attended as the chief guest.
Retired General Javed Aslam Tahir, in his address, emphasized that the 1965 war demonstrated the unwavering capability of Pakistan’s armed forces and its people to defend their homeland under any circumstances. He asserted that Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable, describing Kashmir as the jugular vein of the nation. Highlighting the unity and cohesion of the Pakistan Army and the people as the key to the success of 1965, he called for replacing the slogan “Kashmir will become Pakistan” with a more resolute “Kashmir is Pakistan,” stressing that Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan and must be reclaimed from the enemy, come what may.
Addressing the gathering, General (R) Zahid Mahmood paid rich tributes to the martyrs of September 6, 1965, recalling how the Pakistan army and people thwarted the enemy’s midnight assault with unmatched courage and unity. He said sacrifices of Pakistan’s brave soldiers turned the day into a golden chapter of military history and a lasting symbol of national dignity, bravery and sacrifice. “When enemy tanks and cannons rolled towards Lahore, the armed forces and the nation stood firm and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the aggressor,” he noted. Highlighting Kashmir’s centrality to Pakistan’s security, he stressed, “If we are to fight India on any front, it is only Kashmir, because it is the jugular vein of Pakistan and essential to its completion.” He further exposed India’s ongoing sponsorship of terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to destabilize Pakistan, reiterating that the nation remains indebted to the martyrs of Kashmir, the veterans of Pakistan’s armed forces, and the sacrifices of its people.
In his presidential address, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said the Kashmiri people have always been linked to Pakistan’s survival, security, and defence. “The hearts of Kashmiris beat with Pakistan, and they regard the martyrs of Pakistan as their own martyrs,” he remarked. He added that, like Pakistan’s armed forces, the people of Kashmir continue to render unparalleled sacrifices for their right to self-determination.
The ceremony concluded with special prayers for the martyrs of Pakistan, the martyrs of Kashmir, and all martyrs of the Muslim Ummah, as well as for the early liberation of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir from Indian tyranny.
The ceremony was also attended by retired Brigadier Altaf Hussain, retired Brigadier Sardar Sajjad Hussain, retired Brigadier Rauf, retired Brigadier Zareen, retired Colonel Farooq, retired Colonel Imtiaz, retired Major Jameel, senior Hurriyat leaders Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, Syed Yousuf Naseem, Mir Tahir Masood, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Parvaiz Ahmed, Khateeb Hussain, Shameem Shawl, Sheikh Abdul Mateen, Sheikh Yaqoob, Javed Iqbal Butt, Haji Muhammad Sultan, Nisar Mirza, Dawood Khan, Raja Shaheen, Ejaz Rehmani, Imtiaz Wani, Mian Muzaffar, Abdul Majeed Lone, Muhammad Shafi Dar, Muhammad Ashraf Dar, Syed Gulshan, Manzoor Ahmed Dar, Sheikh Abdul Majid, Manzoor Ahmed Shah, Adeel Mushtaq, Zahid Mujtaba, Nazir Ahmed, Khurshid Mir, Nazir Karnai, Shaukat Hussain Butt, Raees Mir, Khalid Shabbir, Imtiaz Butt, Abdul Rashid Butt, Ghulam Nabi Butt, Qazi Imran, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, and others.
