Safi vows to uphold mission of 1993 Sopore martyrs
Sopore massacre a systematic act of Indian state terrorism: Naqshbandi
Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Azad Kashmir chapter Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the January 6, 1993, Sopore massacre, marking 33 years since the tragic incident.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement issued on the occasion, Safi said the sacrifices of the martyrs would never go in vain and pledged to continue their mission until its logical conclusion. He strongly condemned the brutal killings by Indian forces in Sopore, describing them as a stark example of Kashmiris’ unparalleled sacrifices for freedom, dignity, and the right to self-determination.
Safi recalled that on January 6, 1993, Indian occupation forces carried out indiscriminate killings of unarmed civilians in Sopore, leaving over 60 Kashmiris martyred. Hundreds of buildings, more than 350 shops, and 140 homes were set ablaze. Reports by Amnesty International stated that a passenger bus was set on fire after firing, killing over 20 people inside. In one particularly horrific incident, a mother and her six-month-old infant were deliberately targeted and killed.
Highlighting the human rights violations, Safi referred to UNHCR reports that identified the massacre as clear evidence of state repression, deliberate targeting of civilians, and excessive use of force by Indian authorities.
He called on the international community, the United Nations, and global human rights organizations to conduct impartial investigations into the Sopore massacre and all other war crimes in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, bring the perpetrators to justice, and take concrete steps to ensure the implementation of the Kashmiris’ UN-recognized right to self-determination.
Safi reiterated the resolve of the Kashmiri people to continue the mission of the martyrs at all costs, assuring that the sacrifices of the Sopore victims would ultimately bear fruit and the Kashmiri struggle would prevail.
Meanwhile, senior APHC-AJK chapter leader Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, also paying tribute to the Sopore martyrs, described the massacre as a deliberate and systematic act of Indian state terrorism. He called for international pressure on India to allow independent human rights organizations to investigate the massacre and other serious human rights violations committed by Indian troops in IIOJK.
