Public meeting, rally to be held in Muzaffarabad on Monday to pay tribute to July 13 martyrs
Muzaffarabad: All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter has announced to hold a grand public meeting and rally in Muzaffarabad on Monday at 5:00pm to pay tribute to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 and other martyrs of Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, this was stated by APHC-AJK Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi while addressing a press conference in Muzaffarabad, in which General Secretary Advocate Pervez Ahmed, Hurriyat leader Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, Sajjad Ahmed of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell, Ghulam Hassan Butt, representative of Muhajireen Forum, Shahzad Lullabi, President of the Muzaffarabad Press Club, and Syed Sikandar Gilani, Mayor of Muzaffarabad, also participated
He said that July 13, 1931, is a golden chapter in the history of the Kashmir freedom movement which forever revived the spirit of freedom, dignity and right to self-determination among the Kashmiri people. He said this tragic incident that occurred during the call to prayer against the Dogra dictatorship proved to be the starting point of the long struggle of the Kashmiri people and the immortal sacrifices of 22 martyrs while giving the call to prayer gave new life to the freedom movement.
Ghulam Muhammad Safi said even today the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir are carrying forward the mission of these martyrs. He said the Indian government is trying unsuccessfully to suppress the freedom spirit of the Kashmiris through policies of force, coercion, military siege, political arrests, extrajudicial killings, restrictions on expression of opinion and changing the population ratio, but the Kashmiri people have proven in every era that they will never give up their struggle.
Other leaders said the martyrs of July 13 are a symbol of courage, perseverance and sacrifice not only for the Kashmiri people but also for freedom-loving people around the world.
They said their sacrifices demand that the international community, especially the United Nations, human rights organizations and influential global powers, play their effective role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
They appealed to the government of Pakistan, political and religious parties, media, lawyers, students, youth, civil society, businessmen and the public to participate in the public meeting and rally on July 13 to pay tribute to the martyrs of Kashmir, express their unwavering solidarity with the Kashmiri people and give a clear message to the world that the Kashmir dispute is the key to lasting peace in South Asia and its just solution is inevitable.
They reiterated the resolve that the sacrifices of the martyrs of July 13, 1931 will never go in vain and the Kashmiri people will continue their struggle until they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations.
It is to be mentioned that the martyrs were part of thousands of people who had assembled outside the Central Jail, Srinagar, during the court proceedings against one Abdul Qadeer who had asked the people to defy the Dogra rule. At the time of Namaz-e-Zuhr, a young man started calling Azaan and was shot dead by the Dogra soldiers. Another youth took his place and he too was martyred by the Dogra forces. Thus, 22 youth sacrificed their lives till the completion of Azaan.
