78th Founding Day of AJK being celebrated today
Muzaffarabad: The 78th Founding Day of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is being celebrated today (Friday) with a renewed pledge to continue the struggle for the liberation of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and its accession to Pakistan.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the day began in Muzaffarabad with special prayers for the freedom of the brethren in IIOJK. Special prayers were also offered for the integrity and prosperity of Pakistan and for the early liberation of IIOJK from Indian hegemony.
All radio stations of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are broadcasting special programmes highlighting the significance of the Founding Day.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and other organizations in their separate statements, in Srinagar, congratulated the government and people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on the 78th Foundation Day of the Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. They stated that the people of Kashmir, through their unwavering struggle for freedom, laid the foundation of AJK 78 years ago.
The statements also expressed deep concern over India’s ongoing demographic changes in IIOJK through the issuance of domiciles to non-residents and other actions that violate international law and UN resolutions. They emphasized that such illegal and oppressive measures cannot deter the Kashmiris from their just struggle for self-determination.
They further said lasting peace in the region is intrinsically linked to the resolution of the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The statements noted that Azad Kashmir celebrates its freedom, while occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to suffer under Indian subjugation. They also prayed for the stability and prosperity of Pakistan — the ultimate destination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, India, through its unlawful and unilateral act of August 5, 2019, abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A of its own constitution, thereby scrapping the special status of the internationally recognized disputed Jammu and Kashmir. This move, in blatant defiance of United Nations resolutions, seeks to deny the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination — a right that can only be granted through a free and fair plebiscite.
