Kashmiri women fighting Indian oppression with great determination, courage: APHC-AJK
Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter today organized a function to pay tribute to the struggle and sacrifices of the women of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of “International Women’s Day.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, the function, presided over by senior Hurriyat leader Muhammad Farooq Rahmani, paid a splendid tribute to the unparalleled, timeless and historic sacrifices of the women of the occupied territory.
The ceremony was attended by Hurriyat leaders, political and social activists and people from different walks of life.
Muhammad Farooq Rahmani and other speakers on the occasion said the women of occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting Indian state oppression and serious human rights violations with great determination and courage for the past several decades.
They said Kashmiri women not only played a significant role in keeping the Kashmir freedom movement alive, but they have also set a shining example of determination and independence despite the martyrdom of their loved ones, enforced disappearances, illegal arrests and constant harassment.
The speakers expressed deep concern that the Indian forces are subjecting Kashmiri women to collective punishment. Systematic efforts are being made to keep them in fear and terror through house raids, torture during detention, sexual harassment and baseless cases, they lamented.
They said the husbands, sons and brothers of many Kashmiri women have been victims of extrajudicial killings, fake encounters and enforced disappearances, while many women are forced to live a life of agonizing waiting for years in the hope of the return of their loved ones.
The speakers said the Indian government is targeting Kashmiri women to weaken their resolve and morale, but history is a witness that Kashmiri women have played a fundamental role in strengthening the Kashmir freedom movement in every difficult moment.
They said as mothers, daughters and sisters of martyrs, they are not only a symbol of courage and patience but also a strong voice of the struggle for the right to self-determination.
The speakers demanded of the international community, the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the serious human rights violations against women in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The ceremony was attended by senior Hurriyat leaders, including Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, Mir Tahir Masood, Information Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, Raja Muhammad Zareen, Hassan Al-Banna, Sheikh Abdul Mateen, Syed Ijaz Rahmani, Muhammad Rafiq Dar, Nisar Mirza, Javed Jahangir, Imtiaz Wani, Sheikh Abdul Majid, Zahid Mushtaq, Nazir Ahmed Karnai, Syed Gulshan, Muhammad Shafi Dar, Manzoor Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Ashraf Dar, Abdul Majeed Mir, Qazi Imran, Imtiaz Ahmed Butt and Raies Mir.
Meanwhile, a prayer meeting was also organized by APHC-AJK chapter with Muhammad Farooq Rahmani in chair in which a grand tribute was paid to the esteemed leader of Kashmir freedom movement, prominent religious scholar and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Shah on his death anniversary.
Hurriyat leaders and the media attended the ceremony and paid grand tribute to the religious, political and national services of the late leader.
The speakers said Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Shah is one of those great leaders who dedicated his entire life to the protection of the religious, political and national rights of the Kashmiri people and the struggle for freedom.
He not only created political consciousness and awareness among the Kashmiri people but also laid the foundation for an organized and peaceful struggle against oppression, they added.
The speakers said that Mirwaiz Yusaf Shah’s leadership and insight provided a strong ideological and political direction to the Kashmir freedom movement. They said Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Shah’s struggle was actually a struggle to protect the basic human and democratic rights of the Kashmiri people.
They said the current movement of the Kashmiri people is a continuation of the same great mission that was founded by Mirwaiz Yusaf Shah and other senior leaders.
The speakers called upon the international community, especially the United Nations and international human rights organizations, to take effective and practical steps to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
At the end of the ceremony, special prayers were offered for the elevation of Mirwaiz Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Shah’s ranks, abode in heaven, and complete forgiveness.
