I want to see Pakistan Army in Srinagar: Sen Siraj ul Haq

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Senator Siraj ul Haq on Friday said he wanted to see the armed forces of Pakistan in the streets of Srinagar where slogans like Long Live Pakistan Army were being raised by the Kashmiris since decades. 

Addressing a big “Save Kashmir” rally under the aegis of his party at the K H Khurshid Mini Stadium in Muzaffarabad, he also called for recognition of the AJK government as the true representative government of the entire state in as the best way forward in the present situation. 

“Over the past 70 years Kashmiris have been struggling for freedom, braving cold blooded killings, curfews, detentions, molestations and other forms of repression. But there has not been even the slightest abatement in their resolve,” he said.  

“They (Kashmiris) are looking towards the armed forces of Pakistan with slogans like Long Live Pakistan Army. They are also looking towards the people of Pakistan. [And] we want to see Pakistan Army in the streets of Srinagar,” the JI chief said. 

 Demanding right to self determination for the Kashmiris, he however said the only solution to Kashmir issue was jihad (holy war) in the way of Allah and everyone should gear himself up for it. 

“We had done jihad along with the people of this territory in the past as well and we will do it once again now ... We have taken a pledge from Raja Farooq Haider in this regard,” he said of the AJK prime minister who had returned to Muzaffarabad from the earthquake hit Mirpur district at midday to attend the JI event. 

“You should not consider yourself alone or weak. We are with you and with the Kashmiris. We will never leave you alone,” he said to the AJK premier. 

The JI chief suggested that the AJK prime minister should be considered as the prime minister of the entire state. 

“The AJK Assembly should hold its sessions in London and New York to let it known to the world that this is the true representative government of the Kashmiris whose prime minister is Raja Farooq Haider,” he said. 

Earlier, listing Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir, Mr Haq said silence of international community over it should be a matter of serious concern. 

“If the rulers of Pakistan will turn towards the Almighty instead of the US, all of our problems would be resolved,” he maintained.  

The JI chief pointed out that over the past 70 years, numerous efforts were made to befriend India, including Pervez Musharraf’s formula for division of Kashmir, but to no avail. 

India was not even ready to accept mediation by Donald Trump, he said. 

Mr Haq warned that the JI would strongly resist and frustrate any move envisaging division of Kashmir with the help of Pakistani as well as the recognised Kashmiri leadership. 

He said the people of the base camp (AJK) were the progeny of warriors, and they have to offer even the last drop of their blood and the last moment of their life for the freedom of their motherland from India.

“We the Pakistani nation, the patriotic and Islam loving Pakistani nation, will take each and every step for freedom of Kashmir,” he said.  

“I will march towards Chakothi along with the people of Kashmir.”

Earlier, in his speech, Mr Haider had maintained that hardly any headway could be made without reviving or defining the role of the AJK government in the freedom movement.

He said people in AJK had put their plan to march towards the LoC on hold on the call of Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

He said PM Khan should bring together the national leadership as well as AJK and All Parities Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership and move forward with unity and solidarity. 

 JI AJK ameer Dr Khalid Mahmood, former ameer and MLA Abdul Rashid Turabi, APHC leader Ghulam Muhammad Safi and many others also addressed the rally. 

Tariq Naqash

Turkish media persons vist LoC, interact with victims and local journalists

A 20-member delegation of Turkish media persons on Wednesday visited Chakothi sector for a first-hand information about life and losses amid unrelenting ceasefire violations by Indian troops from across the restive Line of Control (LoC), civilian and military officials said. 

The delegation members interacted with the victims of ceasefire violations and were told that the shelling had been causing the villagers both physical and material losses without any respite, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) and the AJK government Press Information Department. 

Neither can our children go to the schools nor can we shift our injured persons to health facilities “because Indian troops do not spare even schools and health facilities,” the villagers told the visiting journalists and urged that international media should expose Indian aggression and highlight their plight. 

On their way back, the delegation visited Central Press Club Muzaffarabad, where they gathered information from local journalists on the situation in the region, apart from sharing their observations. 

Welcoming the delegation, president press club Tariq Naqash said that the people of Azad Kashmir owed a special gratitude to their Turk brethren who were among the first few countries that came rushing in aid of them after the devastating 2005 earthquake. 

He also thanked Turkish government, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and speaker of Turkey’s grand national assembly, for their unequivocal support to the Kashmiris. 

When the visiting journalists asked as to what they expected Turkish media persons to highlight in their reports, Mr Naqash said the marked difference between the divided parts of Kashmir should be focused, in addition to the peculiar situation in Indian occupied Kashmir in the wake of India’s Aug 5 move. 

“While one part of Kashmir under Indian occupation is under a lockdown for the past 45 days, amid complete communication shutdown, round the clock curfew, mass arrests and other despotic measures, the other part known as Azad Kashmir enjoys complete freedom of movement and speech,” he said. 

The visiting journalists were told that the Kashmiris on both sides of the divide were determined to overthrow Indian occupation, at all costs. 

Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Ms Merve Sebnem Oruc, a columnist for Daily Sabah, said they had met with the victims of Indian firing at the LoC as well as the families who had suffered from the Indian atrocities. 

“The people we met are of the view that there is no option but to wage a war with India because the international community does not care about what’s happening around in Kashmir,” she said.  

Ms Oruc pointed out that while Pakistan was asking the international community to pressure India and wanted the UN resolutions [on Kashmir] to be implemented, “the whole world was in a chaos and the international community was deaf and blind.” 

“As we know they do not care what’s happening in Syria, Palestine, East Turkmenistan, Yemen etc. We now know that international media and community does not care about the sufferings of other people. So the locals [Kashmiris] might be true in their belief that there is no option but a war [with India].” 

However, she cautioned that since both countries were nuclear powers, the situation could become very very dramatic and precarious. 

“Actually when there is a war then the international community will care about that. But [then] it will be too late,” she said. 

Others who interacted with local journalists were Gökhan Gökçe of TRT World, Atif Özbey of kanal 5. 

AJK parties 'defer' decision to march towards LoC till PM Pakistan's address at UNGA

A committee comprising heads of political and religious parties of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has decided to postpone a proposed march towards Line of Control (LoC) until Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27. 

The committee held its meeting in Kashmir House Islamabad on Saturday with AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in the chair. 

On August 9, soon after India scrapped special status of occupied Kashmir through a rushed presidential order and put the whole territory under a lockdown, a multiparty meeting was convened by Mr Haider to discuss the situation and come up with a unanimous course of action. 

As a wide understanding at the meeting was to stage a march towards the LoC, Mr Haider was mandated by the participants to set modalities and fix a date for the exercise. 

However, no progress could be made on the matter owing to Mr Haider’s month long foreign tour. 

On his return on Sept 11, a general meeting of some heads and representatives of political and religious parties was held, but a decision on the matter was again deferred till Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to a rally in Muzaffarabad on Friday (Sept 13). 

At the Friday’s rally, Mr Haider spoke about the very demand and desire in AJK to “trample down the LoC.”

Responding to it, Prime Minister said he knew that majority of youth in AJK wanted to stage a march on the LoC out of passion and commitment. 

However, he urged them to defer a march until he fought their case at the UNGA.

At the Saturday’s meeting, the participants agreed to honour the request of Prime Minister Khan. 

“The decision to stage a march towards the ceasefire line has been put on hold...However, in the meantime, big public gatherings and rallies will be held in different cities to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Occupied Kashmir,” said AJK information minister Muhstaq Minhas, who was detailed to oversee arrangements for these gatherings.

Tariq Naqash  

Soldier, woman embrace martyrdom at the LoC

 A Pakistan army soldier and a woman were martyred and at least eight other civilians, four of them women, were wounded in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday in “unprovoked and indiscriminate” shelling by Indian troops from across the Line of Control (LoC), military and civilian officials said. 

The military casualty took place in Haji Pir sector of Haveli district and the civilian casualties occurred in Nakyal and Goi sectors of Kotli district, they said. 

 “Havaldar Nasir Hussain embraced martyrdom after Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing in Haji Pir sector,” said the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a brief statement earlier in the day.  

The 33 years old martyred soldier, with 16 years of service, was resident of Narowal district in Punjab, the ISPR said. 

On Thursday, Sepoy Ghulam Rasool, belonging to Bahawalnagar, was martyred in the same sector. 

In Kotli district, shelling from across the divide started at 9am, initially in Nakyal sector and later in the neighbouring Goi sector as well, during which Indian troops used mortar guns and targeted civilian populations, according to deputy commissioner Dr Umer Azam. 

Fatima Bibi, 45, daughter of Feroz Khan was martyred in Balakot village of Nakyal sector after being hit by splinters from a shell, he said. 

Mr Azam identified the injured persons as Muhammad Rashid, 45, in Goi village of Goi sector and Nazia Bibi, 36, Shah Begum, 70, Gul Yasmin, 55, and her daughter Shumaila, 21, Muhammad Lal, Muhammad Ilyas, 28, and Muhammad Sabir, 48 in Daryari Palani, Androth Palani and Dharoti Mohra villages of Nakyal sector.

Muhammad Lal had also got his two buffalos and one goat killed due to shelling, he added.

Pictures shared by the villagers on social media showed clouds of smoke arising from the areas where mortar shells had struck. 

Deputy commissioner Azam said some houses had also been partially damaged by shelling.

He said Indian troops also hit a middle school for girls in Lanjot village of Nakyal sector, damaging its tin roof. 

However, fortunately, all students had already been evacuated to a nearby protection bunker which averted physical losses in the institution, he said. 

Meanwhile, in a brief statement AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider condemned “unprovoked and indiscriminate” Indian shelling across the restive LoC. 

“Neither can India subdue the residents along the ceasefire line (LoC) with such cowardly acts nor can it divert attention from the nightmarish situation in occupied Kashmir,” he said. 

The heavily militarised LoC that splits the disputed region of Kashmir between Pakistan and India has been witnessing frequent ceasefire violations by Indian troops, in a serious breach of a truce agreement the armies of both countries had signed in Nov 2003 

Tensions already prevailing between the two sides since an attack on an Indian army convoy in Pulwama area of occupied Kashmir in February this year touched new heights after India scrapped the special status of occupied Kashmir through a rushed presidential order and put the occupied territory under a lockdown, clamping round the clock curfew and communications blockade. 

According to civilian and military sources, at least 38 civilians and 18 soldiers have lost their lives and another 186 civilians have sustained injuries in different areas of AJK along the LoC in 2019 due to ceasefire violations by Indian army. 

Meanwhile, in Islamabad the Foreign Office (FO) summoned Indian Charge d`Affairs Gaurav Ahluwalia to lodge a protest against Saturday's "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian army.

According to a statement issued by the FO, Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Mohammad Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and permit the UN Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per UN Security Council resolutions.

"The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars, and automatic weapons," the FO press release said.

"The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," it added. 

Tariq Naqash 

Dharna at Tetrinote continues on Sunday

At least 22 pro-independence activists were taken into custody by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police in Hajira subdivision of Poonch district overnight for alleged rioting while a sit-in continued in Tetrinote village on the second consecutive day on Sunday. 

On Saturday, police had stopped thousands of participants of an “Azadi Long March” called by Sardar Muhammad Saghir, chief of his own faction of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), at Dawarandi village in Hajira, when they were insisting to move ahead towards Tetrinote that lies in the closest proximity of the restive Line of Control (LoC). 

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police Poonch Tahir Mahmood Qureshi told Dawn on Sunday that the decision to stop the marchers was taken in the interest of their safety “as their leaders had already given an undertaking to the administration that they would not go beyond a designated spot to avoid the risk of Indian shelling.”

However, he alleged, the marchers disregarded the commitment and insisted to go beyond the designated spot in Dawarandi. In the meanwhile, some of climbed the adjacent mountains and pelted stones on the police, he added. 

The DIG claimed that as many as 12 police personnel were injured, one of them critically, due to stone pelting. 

He admitted that the police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the mob, which rendered some of the activists unconscious for sometime. 

All of them were rushed to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Hajira for treatment, he said, but alleged that four ambulances which the administration had placed on standby were ruthlessly damaged by the activists. 

He said 25 activists had been taken into custody after midnight, but 3 of them were released for not being involved in the activity.

JKLF sources said Sardar Saghir had himself managed to reach Tetrinote where local activists had  set up a sit-in camp on Saturday that continued on the second consecutive day on Sunday. 

Speaking to the activists in Tetrinote, Sardar Saghir demanded the “restoration of the revolutionary government of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan”that he said was established on October 24, 1947. 

“Pakistan should open the embassy of this government in Islamabad and then get it recognized from all friendly countries so that it could take the reins of freedom movement in its own hands,”he said.  

He condemned the arrest of activists and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.  

Alleging that the detainees had been “mercilessly”tortured by the police, he also called for a judicial probe into it. 

It may be recalled that Sardar Saghir had given the call for the long march from Rawalakot to Tetrinote and a sit in for an “indefinite period” in Tetrinote to condemn revocation of occupied Kashmir’s special status, imposition of curfew, communication blockade and other repressive measures by India as well as ceasefire violations across the LoC.   

Tariq Naqash  

JKLF marchers in Poonch stopped before the LoC

Heavy police contingents lobbed tear gas shells to disperse thousands of charged demonstrators, determined to march towards a crossing point along the restive Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday evening, affecting around 20 persons, witnesses and hospital sources said. 

The scene of clash was Dawarandi village in subdivision Hajira, where police had set up barricades and barbed wires to prevent the participants of an “Azadi Long March” under the aegis of Sardar Muhammad Saghir led faction of pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). 

Based in Rawalakot, Sardar Saghir was chairman of late Amanullah Khan led faction of JKLF until its amalgamation with Yasin Malik led faction in 2011.

Due to some alleged reservations about the merger, he had launched his own faction of the pro-independence organisation.   

About a week ago, he had given a call for the long march from Rawalakot to Tetrinote, a village famous for a crossing point across the LoC, and a ‘dharna’ (sit in) “for an indefinite period” there, to condemn India’s Aug 5 move, scrapping occupied Kashmir’s special status, imposition of curfew, communication blockade and other repressive measures in the occupied territory and to express solidarity with the besieged population there.

Another purpose of the march, according to him, was to condemn the unrelenting ceasefire violations across the LoC, which were “disturbing routine life and causing frequent civilian casualties on both sides.”  

He had held meetings with and drawn support from traders, lawyers, students and civil society activists, most of them with pro-independence tendencies. 

On Saturday, the Poonch district administration had declared holiday in all educational institutions to maintain order in the wake of the call. 

According to witnesses, first a big rally paraded through the city of Rawalakot amid a shutter down by the traders, after which the marchers left for the town of Hajira in vehicles.

Tetrinote is some 13 kilometres ahead of Hajira. 

The marchers were holding AJK and JKLF flags, portraits of pioneer Kashmiri guerrilla leader Maqbool Butt and placards, inscribed with slogans calling for withdrawal of “all foreign forces” from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir and its complete independence. 

They also kept on chanting same slogans. 

Since the administration had got cellular phone services of all networks suspended in Hajira subdivision in the afternoon, reports about the happenings could be ascertained only after restoration of services at 9pm.  

When the marchers reached Dawarandi (Madarpur), some 8 kilometres before Tetrinote, they were greeted by AJK police contingents at barricades wrapped with barbed wires. 

As the marchers insisted to go ahead, police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them. 

Deputy commissioner Poonch Mirza Arshad Mahmood told Dawn by telephone that tear gas “affected” half a dozen persons.

However, local health facility sources said they had treated some 20 persons hit by tear gas amid mayhem. 

 Mahmood also dismissed social media reports that Punjab police had been called to handle the situation and said the entire episode was dealt by AJK police under the supervision of divisional and district administration. 

“We stopped the participants because Indian army had hoisted red flags on their posts and had also resorted to intermittent firing,” he said. 

However, Sardar Ansaar, a local office bearer of JKLF-S, dismissed deputy commissioner’s assertion, claiming that more than one thousand residents of Tetrinote area had already been on a ‘dharna’ since Friday night after staging a ‘torch-bearing’ rally. 

“If India did not fire upon them, it would not have fired upon other people,” he said. 

Deputy commissioner Mahmood claimed that most of the marchers had evacuated the area.

However, Asif Ashraf, a local journalist, said that the marchers had moved some 100 yards back to a comparatively wide area, where they were on a sit-in under the leadership of  Saghir, who announced on the occasion that the march towards Tetrinote would be resumed on Sunday morning. 

 Saghir also declared that a “long march” would also be staged on state capital Muzaffarabad on October 22 for “restoration of the revolutionary government of AJK and GB that had been established on October 24, 1947.”  

He also called upon the Indian government, among other things, to shift Yasin Malik from Tihar Jail to Soura Medical Institute Srinagar where his family could attend him. 

Earlier, a similar situation was created at Sarsawa in district Kotli where police had blocked the road to stall the movement of a big rally towards Tetrinote.

Police also fired tear gas shells to disperse the participants of the rally, leaving some of them injured.

Deputy commissioner Kotli Umer Azam said at least three policemen were injured due to alleged stone pelting by the marchers.

Organisers alleged that some people jumped into the river to escape tear gas shelling and one of them had drowned.  

It may be recalled that on Friday thousands of people in Khuiratta subdivision of Kotli had also staged a march towards the LoC, which was stopped by the administration in Seri Bazaar. 

However, some of the marchers had defied restrictions and managed to get close to the LoC, where at least three of them were injured by Indian firing. 

Tariq Naqash

Military rule in occupied Kashmir will drive India to disaster, forewarns Sardar Attique

Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan on Thursday forewarned Indian public that complete takeover of occupied Kashmir by their army was the beginning of military rule and martial law in the so-called largest democracy. 

 “The continuity of curfew and virtual martial law in occupied Kashmir will drive India towards utter disaster...An area inhabiting hardly 10 million people has been given under absolute military rule. This marks the beginning of bringing entire India under military rule,” he prophesied at a press conference in Central Press Club Muzaffarabad. 

Khan, who recently quit the office of Muslim Conference president to pave way for another stalwart, expressed his gratitude to the international community for slapping condemnation on India for its Aug 5 move to annual the special status of occupied Kashmir and subsequent draconian measures to quell resistance in the territory. 

“Lately the Muslim countries have also reviewed their attitude vis-à-vis Kashmir for which we are grateful to them as well as to the government of Pakistan,” he said. 

Khan said that apart from the encouraging response of international media, civil society throughout the world was also rising not only to the Kashmir issue but also to the nefarious designs of BJP government within India, such as in Assam.

“Disintegration process in India has begun under Narendra Modi. I had remarked long ago that India is being ruled by Hindu Taliban,” he said.  

The former AJK premier was of the view that though the government of Pakistan had taken many appreciable measures “yet much more needed to be done” to bail out the besieged Kashmiris. 

Pakistan should strive for ‘pro-active’ engagement of international organisations to address the biggest issue of humanitarian relief for occupied Kashmir, he said.  

Of the ISPR chief Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor’s Wednesday's presser, Khan maintained that Ghafoor had “represented the sentiments of the entire nation.” 

“[The territories of] Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were liberated [in 1947] on the basis of the ideology of the erstwhile princely state’s accession to Pakistan. It’s not just a slogan but a mission,” he said.  

He pointed out that it was India that had declared “no first use” (of nuclear weapons) policy while Pakistan had not made any such announcement. 

“Imagine how an army that has failed to defeat hardly 4000 fighting youth [in occupied Kashmir] over the past three decades can fight Pakistan,” he said, reminding India that no army could wage a war without overwhelming support from the local population. 

“In Kashmir Pakistan army enjoys this edge over its rival. Along with the Pakistani military personnel, every single man, woman and child of Kashmir will vigorously fight India’s oppressor army,” he said.  

When asked if he supported Pakistan army’s intervention in occupied Kashmir, like that of the Indian army in former East Pakistan, he parried a direct reply. 

“If Pakistan could defeat a superpower [Soviet Union] in Afghanistan without sending its single trooper across the border, it can also happen in Kashmir,” he remarked.

However, he agreed with another questioner that the comparison between Afghanistan where the US was on the back of the fighters and occupied Kashmir was not fair.  

“If indispensable, army should be and can be launched into occupied Kashmir,” he said.

On a question about breaking the LoC, he said it was not appropriate time for any such move. 

“While a nuclear war looms large, we cannot engage our own troops by making attempts to cross the LoC. Why should we fight a war within our own home that we should be fighting in India?” 

Tariq Naqash  

JKLF announces to trample down LoC on Oct 4

The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a pro-independence organisation headed by incarcerated Kashmiri leader Muhammad Yasin Malik, on Thursday announced to hold a “peaceful freedom march” towards the Line of Control (LoC) on October 4, calling upon the governments in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad not to create any hindrance to the move. 

The announcement was made by JKLF central spokesperson Muhammad Rafiq Dar at a news conference here, in the company of party’s central vice chairmen Khawaja Saifuddin and Saleem Haroon, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) zone president Dr Syed Tauqeer Gillani, central treasurer Manzoor Ahmed Chishti, Students Liberation Front (SLF) chief Advocate Abdul Rahim Malik and others. 

“In order to express solidarity with the besieged population of India occupied Kashmir, to draw attention of the international community towards the state terrorism unleashed by India in the held territory and to press it to get the lingering issue permanently and democratically resolved on priority basis, we have taken a revolutionary decision to stage a ‘peaceful people’s freedom march’ from Bhimber to Chakothi under the leadership of acting JKLF chairman Abdul Hameed Butt,” Dar said. 

“Later, we would trample down the bloody line or the so called ceasefire line that splits the state of Jammu and Kashmir from Chakothi sector,” he added, referring to the LoC. 

This decision, Dar told, was taken on Friday (Aug 30) at the joint meeting of the JKLF’s most authorotative ‘supreme council’ and the zonal working committee of AJK and GB in Rawalpindi. 

The meeting was presided over by elderly vice chairman Hafiz Anwar Samavi, as acting chairman could not show up due to illness, he said, adding, Chaudhry Tanvir Ahmed and Khalid Kashmiri, heads of Europe and Middle East zones, respectively, were also among the attendees. 

Speaking about the situation in occupied Kashmir, the JKLF spokesperson pointed out that India had turned the whole territory into a military concentration camp, holding people hostage in their homes and cutting off all communication links amid round the clock curfew and crackdowns. 

He said JKLF chief Yasin Malik had already been lodged in solitary confinement in the infamous Tihar Jail while Joint Resistance leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had also been put under house arrest.

Apart from them, dozens of other leaders like Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Asiya Andrabi, Noor Muhammad Kulwal, Dr Fayyaz Ahmed, Mian Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Yasin Khan, and hundreds of thousands of youth had also been incarcerated in different Indian prisons and torture cells, he added. 

Dar recalled that just three days after the Aug 5 Indian move, the JKLF supreme council had decided in principle to hold a peaceful public march and break the LoC in consultation with all AJK based political parties and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership.  

He said the same suggestion was put forth by APHC representatives at an all party conference convened by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in Kashmir House Islamabad on Aug 9, which not only endorsed it but also made it part of the joint declaration. 

“In accordance with that decision, the AJK premier was supposed to fix date and place for the programme and work out strategy for it, but given his indifference and non serious attitude we were forced to take the initiative on our own,” he said. 

He said the party had constituted various committees for the success of programme. 

These committees would reach out people from all walks of life to garner their support and cooperation for the march. 

Responding to a question, Dar said that if the AJK government had any other date before or soon after Oct 4 in its mind for the cross LoC march, the JKLF was ready to readjust the date for a national consensus. 

“We are not for a solo flight. We gave this call after waiting for their response for over three weeks,” he said of the AJK government. 

The JKLF spokesperson also expressed the hope that the “government [of Pakistan and AJK] would not use force against the peaceful marchers.”

“We want to tell the world that we do not recognise this ill-omened line (LoC) and no law of the world restricts us from moving from one part to the other,” he said, and warned that “the use of force against thousands of marchers would change the situation which we do not want.” 

He said people of Pakistan had unconditional love for Kashmir, and therefore he would not say anything as could send a wrong message to them. 

Dar said the youth on this side of the divide had great passion to do something for their oppressed brethren in occupied Kashmir. 

"The younger generation is looking towards the leaders but unfortunately they are busy in power politics," he said and added: "There is too much rhetoric but as yet no practical step(s) on their part." 

He said JKLF had prepared alternatives in the event of being stopped by government, but he could not disclose them before time. 

It may be recalled that JKLF had made at least three attempts over the past three decades to cross the LoC. 

On Feb 11, 1992, its march had reached Chakothi, where Pakistani law enforcement personnel opened fire to restrict them from getting closer to the dividing line and as a result, 7 people were killed and scores others wounded. 

The party announced to resume the “stalled march” on March 30, the same year, but police arrested its leadership, including the then JKLF chairman Amanullah Khan (late), on March 26, and resultantly the announcement could not be actualized. 

On Oct 4, 1999, a similar march by JKLF from Hajira sector was stopped by police in the town of Hajira and Mr Khan and other leaders were taken into custody. 

Tariq Naqash

Salahuddin calls for Pakistan's military support to struggling Kashmiris

Syed Salahuddin gestures during an addresss to
a gathering in Muzaffarabad

Syed Salahuddin, chief of the United Jihad Council (UJC), an alliance of over a dozen groups fighting Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday asked Pakistan to send its troops across the Line of Control or provide military aid to the struggling Kashmiris until the UN dispatched peacekeeping forces to the occupied territory.

Speaking to a gathering in Muzaffarabad, in his first public talk in many months, he dilated at length on the situation in occupied Kashmir, particularly in the wake of India’s move of Aug 5, scrapping special status of the held territory, putting it on a lockdown, clamping ceaseless curfew and communications blockade. 

“It is for the first time in history that a whole nation has been immobilised and held hostage [by India] through a round the clock curfew and communication shutdown. The savage Indian imperialism is hell bent upon shedding the blood of innocent Kashmiris who are not ready to budge on their just stand,” said Salahuddin, whose Hizbul Mujahideen is the largest constituent of UJC.  

“[Indian Prime Minister] Narendra Modi has unilaterally scrapped the recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir to annex the occupied territory in accordance with his election manifesto,” he said.

“Sadly, our rulers, politicians and diplomats failed to take timely steps to frustrate this nefarious move,” he lamented, warning that Modi was pursuing his manifesto hotfoot that also included occupation of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Salahuddin pointed out that there had been around a dozen United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir, but the issue was yet to be resolved. 

This issue, he regretted, was never discussed in the UNSC after 1965 in what put a question mark on Pakistan’s diplomacy over all these years. 

He said in view of the “most alarming” situation in occupied Kashmir, it was the “responsibility of the UN to instantly land its peacekeeping forces there to save the humanity.” 

Salahuddin said Pakistan was the only worldly support for the oppressed Kashmiris after the Almighty Allah, and therefore the centre of their hopes. 

“In these testing times when India is obsessive about quelling resistance movement in occupied Kashmir and has dumped more than 10,000 youngsters into torture cells, Kashmiri people are looking towards Pakistan for the much needed military aid.” 

Addressing Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, he said if the deployment of UN peacekeepers was not possible immediately, Pakistan should enter its troops in the India occupied territory, for being a key party to this dispute.

“Political and diplomatic efforts are appreciable but nothing except use of force and jihad will work to evict India from Kashmir,” he said, warning that the time was running out very quickly.

 He said because of the untiring struggle and sacrifices of Kashmiri people Kashmir issue had been into the spotlight across the world.

Though the world was paying attention to Kashmir but India was a cruel, wicked and untrustworthy enemy that only understood the language of power, he said.

Reminding premier Khan and Gen Bajwa of an injunction from the Almighty, he said: “In fact, it is obligatory for the armed forces of Pakistan to enter occupied Kashmir to help the subjugated Kashmiris.”

“On our part, we assure that the moment Pakistani troops will step on the soil of occupied Kashmir, the whole Kashmiri nation will stand up [to fight] along side them.” 

“But if that’s not possible either, the second option is that Pakistan should arm the Kashmiri youth to fight India, to fulfil its responsibilities,” he said. 

Salahuddin also made a veiled reference to the crackdown that Pakistan had launched on militant groups after Pulwama attack. 

 “At this point, the harsh steps taken by Pakistan have restrained us and our aiders (in AJK) from launching armed resistance against India. This is not fair,” he said, warning that the restrictions were augmenting “misunderstandings and apprehensions” across the entire state.

In 2017, the United States had put Salahuddin, who originally hails from Badgam area of occupied Kashmir, on a list of global terrorists, a move that Islamabad had had described as unjustified.

Tariq Naqash