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MIRPUR: The Kashmiri leaders hailing from both sides of the line of control called upon the international community to redouble its efforts to resolve the lingering dispute that has been main cause and consequence of rights violations in the region.
Addressing a mammoth solidarity rally at D-Chowk in the federal metropolis late Thursday, the AJK leadership across the political spectrum expressed their solidarity with Kashmiri masses who have been relentlessly reeling under the Indian state terrorism. Taken out from the National Press Club the rally was led by the AJK president Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary, AJK President office told media Thursday night.
The rally was attended by a large number of Kashmiris settled in twin cities Rawalpindi/Islamabad and other areas. Whereas a sizable number of the participants travelled from different districts of Azad Kashmir to Islamabad to join the rally.
Kashmiri leaders while expressing their commitment to the Kashmiris’ just cause made it clear that the peace and stability in South Asia was inescapably linked to the settlement of Kashmir dispute. Kashmiris, they said, want a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and universally accepted principle of right to self-determination.
In his speech the AJK president Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary said that the leadership of Azad Kashmir unequivocally condemn and reject whatever decisions the Indian government has unilaterally taken on Kashmir since 5th August 2019.
Kashmir, he said, is a disputed territory and no piece of legislation by the Indian parliament can change the region’s disputed status. In order to bring material change in the region he pointed out that Indian authorities have issued fake domiciles to 4.2 million Hindus so that the proportion of the population could be changed in the region. These wicked conspiracies being hatched against Kashmiris, he said, were meant to install Hindu Chief Minister in Kashmir.
Referring to Modi’s repressive policies, Barrister Sultan said, “BJP government’s hostile policies in Kashmir were being criticized and condemned all across the world. “Rising tide of communalism, Islamophobia, and persecution of minorities by Hindu extremists have left India virtually isolated at global stage”, Barrister Sultan said adding that Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi admitted it publicly.Barrister Chaudhary on the occasion congratulated the people and leaders of all parties for making solidarity rally a success.
The rally, he said, has sent a positive message that Kashmiri leadership regardless of their schools of thought were united on a single platform on the Kashmir issue.He said that today’s rally was organized in the backdrop of decisions taken during All Parties Kashmir Conference.
He declared that a similar kind of rally will be held in Muzaffarabad in the third week of March. He said that more steps will be taken in future to highlight the Kashmir issue at the international level. In the next phase, he said, public rallies and protest demonstrations against India would be organized in important world capitals including London, New York, Brussels, Paris and other European countries to expose Indian brutalities in the occupied Kashmir.Highlighting the Base Camp’s role, he said, “Azad Jammu and Kashmir is the base camp of Kashmir’s freedom movement”.
Lauding the sacrifices of ancestors, the president said that the region of Azad Kashmir was liberated by our forefathers after rendering great sacrifices.Others who attended and addressed the rally included Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Latif Akbar, Former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, APHC leader Muhammad Farooq Rahmani, President PPP Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, Former Prime Minister Sardar Atiq Khan, President PTI Azad Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, President JK PPP Sardar Hassan Ibrahim, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Kashmir Dr. Khalid, Abdul Rashid Turabi, Maulana Saeed Yusuf And Maulana Imtiaz Siddiqui and other political leaders attended in large numbers.
Moreover, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi has said the main objective behind the All Parties Kashmir rally, held in Islamabad on February 24, was to seek world’s attention towards the fast deteriorating political and human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a statement issued Friday, the AJK he said that the solidarity rally was hosted at a time when people of the occupied territory were witnessing a crisis of immeasurable proportions at the hands of the Indian occupying forces in the disputed State.
“People especially the youth are being killed day in and day out while on the other hands human rights violations, harassment, arbitrary arrests Hurriyat leaders continue unabated”, the premier said adding that at this crucial phase of the ongoing resistance movement there was dire need to sensitize the world and expose Indian occupation forces’ barbarous brutalities in the region.
Niazi said that the incumbent PTI government would take the entire Kashmiri leadership onboard and devise a comprehensive mechanism to expose India’s ugly face before the world.
He urged Kashmiris living in the twin cities (Islamabad/Rawalpindi) and its suburbs to fully participate in the joint march to send a strong solidarity message to the people on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC).
Urging international community to take immediate stringent notice of the Indian atrocities and grave human rights violations in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, the AJK Prime Minister said that it was high time that the Indian government should be held accountable of war crimes being committed by its forces in the occupied Kashmir.
Meanwhile terming rule of law and merit as the foundation of civilized society, he said that his government won’t compromise on the supremacy of merit in the region.
The AJK PM while commenting on the abrogation of Ad-hoc Act said that as per the vision of prime minister Imran Khan rule of law and supremacy of merit would be given top most priority.
“We will not let the parents who sacrifice their lives for the education of their children be disappointed”, the PM said adding that the abrogation of the Ad-hoc Act was not intended to render any employee jobless but to ensure the rule of law in the region.
He, however, maintained that the employees who were appointed on an ad-hoc basis will have to go through a scrutiny process, under the rules. “No one will be allowed to violate the rules”, he said, adding that the government will make Public Service Commission and will not allow the violation of merit at any cost.He said the supremacy of merit has been part of the PTI’s election manifesto.
“The PTI had promised the educated youth of the state that the PTI would come to power and repeal the controversial ad-hoc act enacted by the previous government”, he added. Now that the ad-hoc system has been abolished forever, he said, steps would be taken to ensure merit-based appointments in all government departments in AJK.
