Karachi: A massive rally was held in Karachi under the auspices of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter to mark the 10th martyrdom anniversary of charismatic Kashmiri youth leader Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, with thousands of people reaffirming their unwavering support for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the rally, led by APHC-AJK Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, witnessed the participation of leaders and representatives of political, religious, social, student, lawyers’, traders’, human rights and Kashmiri organizations, who expressed complete solidarity with the oppressed people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The rally started from the Arts Council Karachi and culminated at the Karachi Press Club after a peaceful march. Participants carried Pakistani and AJK flags, portraits of Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, and banners and placards supporting the Kashmiris’ internationally recognized right to self-determination. The participants raised slogans including “Kashmir Banega Pakistan,” “Hum Kya Chahte? Azadi,” “Shaheed Burhan Wani,” “Pakistan Se Rishta Kya? La Ilaha Illallah,” and “Kashmiriyon Se Rishta Kya? La Ilaha Illallah.”
Among those present were APHC-AJK General Secretary Advocate Parvez Ahmed, Hurriyat leaders Sheikh Abdul Mateen, Zahid Safi, Sheikh Abdul Majid and Secretary Information Imtiaz Wani. Also present were Pakistan Sunni Tehreek Central President Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League (N) Sindh President Bashir Memon, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Senator Waqar Mehdi, MQM Pakistan leader Dr Fauzia, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Farhan Farooq, AJK Minister Aamir Abdul Ghaffar Lone, Markazi Muslim League leader Mehdi Ishaq, Human Rights Council of Pakistan Chairman Jamshed Hussain, Palestine Foundation Chairman Dr Miraj-ul-Huda, Hindu community leader Dr Jai Pal, Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) leader Sardar Abdul Rahim, Sardar Nazakat, Bashir Sadozai, PML-N AJK leader Naeem Ahmed, Muslim Conference AJK leader Rana Aziz-ul-Hasan, prominent lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and people from different walks of life.
Addressing the rally, the speakers said Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani had infused the Kashmir freedom movement with renewed spirit through his courage, steadfastness and sacrifice, becoming an enduring symbol of resistance and inspiration for Kashmiri youth.
They said the people of IIOJK had been rendering unparalleled sacrifices for decades to secure their inalienable right to self-determination, regretting that the international community had failed to fulfill its obligations despite continued human rights violations in the occupied territory.
The speakers urged the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), international human rights organizations and influential world powers to take serious notice of the grave situation in IIOJK, ensure an end to the ongoing human rights violations, and facilitate the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions by enabling the Kashmiris to exercise their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite.
At the conclusion of the rally, rich tributes were paid to the martyrs of Kashmir, particularly Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, while special prayers were offered for the freedom, peace and steadfastness of the Kashmiri people. The participants reaffirmed their resolve to continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris and to intensify efforts until the just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
