Pakistan should not stop people from marching across LoC: APHC

All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a Srinagar based alliance of pro-freedom Kashmiri political groups, has asked Islamabad not to stop the Kashmiris from marching across the Line of Control (LoC) if it is unable to take any “solid and practical steps” itself in response to India’s aggression on Kashmir. 

This demand was made by Syed Abdulah Gillani convenor of the AJK chapter of APHC at a press conference, here on Monday. He was flanked by other representatives, including Syed Ejaz Ahemd Shah, Ishtiyaq Hameed, Abdul Majeed Mir, Pervez Ahmed Shah, Raja Khadim Hussain and Zahid Safi. 

Mr Gillani maintained that the way Prime Minister Imran Khan had pleaded the case of Kashmiris before the international community in the wake of India’s Aug 5 or the people of Pakistan had raised voice for the rights of Kashmiris was commendable.  

“However, all these steps and efforts have not brought any change on the ground in occupied Kashmir. True, the political, moral and diplomatic support by Pakistan has boosted the morale of the struggling Kashmiris, it has however neither stood in the way of India’s nefarious designs nor has it reduced atrocities by Indian forces,” he said. 

Mr Gillani said the kind of “solid and practical steps” Kashmiris had been expecting of Pakistan in retaliation of Indian aggression were nowhere in sight perhaps because of the problems and difficulties Pakistan was facing itself. 

 “That’s why we are not making any complaints. But at least we cannot sit at ease amid the prevailing situation and that’s why we call upon Pakistan that if you are unable to take any solid and practical steps in response to Indian aggression you should not create any hurdles in the way of our actions.” 

“If we, the Kashmiris, want to breach this bloody line (LoC) to help our brethren on the other side, you should not stop us. Instead you should extend us as much as possible support, in this regard,” he said. 

Mr Gillani said it was not fair for the world community not to do anything on its own nor let Pakistan do anything to help the oppressed Kashmiris. 

“If we want to fight our own war and [...] you impede our efforts we will not accept and appreciate it,” he said. 

The APHC convenor maintained that on both sides of the LoC hundreds of thousands of youngsters were eager to dash against any storm. 

He said Kashmiris did realize that the international community was not prepared to bail out them due to its economic interests and other compulsions. 

“If we want to help ourselves, no body should have any problem with it. We therefore demand that we should not be deprived of our right to advance our struggle and fight the war of our survival.” 

“The world should not have any doubt in the fact that the Kashmiris are fully determined and united to take their struggle to its logical end,” he said.

He told that Oct 27 would be marked as ‘black day’ to condemn Indian invasion of Kashmir on this day in 1947. 

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider would attend a function under the aegis of APHC on that day, he said. 

Tariq Naqash

Geologists submit preliminary report on Mirpur earthquake

University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Institute of Geology has submitted a preliminary assessment to the AJK government after carrying out an integrated geological and geophysical study of the earthquake affected area of district Mirpur, it was learnt here on Thursday.  The study was conducted by a 5-member team, comprising Prof Emeritus Dr Muhammad Rustam Khan, Associate Prof and Director Geology Dr Muhammad Basharat, assistant professors Shahab Pervez and Dr Abrar Niaz and lecturer Fahad Hameed from Sept 27 to Sept 30 on the request of the AJK government.  On Sept 24, an earthquake of 5.8 magnitude had struck Mirpur city and adjoining areas at 4pm, followed by many aftershocks with the highest one of 4.8 magnitude. The epicentre of the quake was 3kms south of New Mirpur City and 19kms north of the Jhelum city at a focal depth of 10kms.   Based on the present integrated geological and geophysical study, the team concluded that Sept 24 earthquake had occurred as a result of movement along the reverse Jari Kass Fault.  A shallow blind fault was also demarcated, suggesting that both the Jari Kass Fault and the Samwal Fault were the surface expression of this blind fault, the team said, among many other technical findings.  In the recent past, low magnitude earthquakes had been reported in Mirpur area after the upraising of Mangla reservoir. Therefore, there was a probability that the uprising might have increased the hydrostatic pressure that had been causing increase in strain accumulation, the team said.  In its recommendations, it called for in-depth geological and geophysical studies to understand the fault mechanism and its precise location associated with the Sept 24 earthquake.  Geo-hazard microzonation should be conducted for Mirpur and adjoining areas, the team suggested, adding, the identification of highly hazardous and hazardous areas could assist land-use planners in identifying sites for future planning and development.  The team also urged the authorities concerned to reconstruct/relocate the Jatlan road, along the Upper Jhelum Canal, outside the area of lateral spreading. Lateral spreading refers to landslides that commonly form on gentle slopes and that have rapid fluid-like flow movement, like water. The structure associated with lateral spreading in Jatlan area should be inspected by the structural engineers, the team said.   Underscoring the need of an awareness and evacuation plan for the earthquake affected area to avoid the human loss in future, it recommended that precise mapping of active fault lines in the region and proper monitoring of slip rates along these active fault lines should also be carried out.  The team further suggested installation of the dense global positioning system (GPS) network as well as dense seismic stations' network to ascertain the ongoing deformation in the area and proper monitoring of the earthquakes, respectively. It stressed that strain accumulation as a result of the Mangla reservoir needed to be properly monitored and building codes strictly implemented to avoid further loss in the earthquake-prone areas in future.  According to Director Geology, his institute had also studied other faults in the AJK territory and of them the Riasi Thrust and Jhelum Fault were tectonically very active and needed to be properly monitored. Tariq Naqash  ReplyReply to allForward

Nationalist organisations to hold march for "interim constituent assembly" in AJK

An alliance of hard-line nationalist organisations has announced to hold a “public protest march” here on Tuesday (Oct 22) for establishment of a “representative interim constituent assembly” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Raja Zulfiqar, Sardar Liaquat Hayat, Mir Afzaal Sulehria and other office bearers of Peoples National Alliance (PNA) said that processions and rallies from all districts would reach Muzaffarabad by Monday evening to take part in the march on the following day. 

The PNA brings together around 16 hard-line organisations and groups calling for complete independence of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir from both India and Pakistan. 

The PNA leaders told that the alliance was formed in the wake of India’s Aug 5 move “to launch a movement for an end to lockdown in occupied Kashmir, withdrawal of foreign forces from the divided state and its subsequent reunification.” 

In the first phase of movement, protest demonstrations were staged across AJK on August 26 to raise voice for discontinuance of curfew and other curbs in occupied Kashmir and restoration of State Subject rules, they said. 

Under the second phase, started on Sept 16 from Bhimber, rallies, public meetings and seminars were being continuously held in different parts of AJK, they added.  

They said the public protest march of Oct 22 would begin from Upper Adda Muzaffarabad and conclude outside the AJK Legislative Assembly building “peacefully.” 

“We believe that over the past 72 years the rulers in Muzaffarabad have completely failed to take any solid step for liberation of Kashmir,” said PNA president Raja Zulfiqar, a lawyer by profession. 

“The existing [AJK] assembly has also failed to play its role in this regard. Therefore, it should be abolished and replaced with a representative, revolutionary, interim constituent assembly,” he added. 

Mr Zulfiqar called upon the government of Pakistan to unite AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, recognise their government as the representative government of the entire erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and open its embassy in Islamabad.  

Responding to a question, he said contrary to the claims of the AJK government, the PNA firmly believed that the rulers and the government formed under an interim constitution (Act 1974) were devoid of any authority. 

“They are helpless and toothless, without any legal standing at the international level which is why the world does not attach importance to their calls,” he said. 

Tariq Naqash

Hizbul Mujahideen supremo for "solid steps" for liberation of Kashmir

A top pro-Pakistan Kashmiri mujahideen leader on Wednesday paid tributes to a pro-independence organisation for its initiative of a march towards the Line of Control (LoC) and said there was a dire need to take “solid steps” for liberation of oppressed Kashmir in India occupied territory of the disputed Himalayan region.  

Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest of around a dozen groups fighting Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, maintained that the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was “justified and on right path” in holding the march towards the bloody dividing line. 

“Your initiative – LoC march – is the most important need of time to draw the attention of the international community and unconscientious international organisations towards the alarming situation in India occupied Kashmir,” said Mr Salahuddin, in his telephonic address to the participants of the JKLF led sit-in near Jiskool, some 8kms before the LoC in Chakothi sector. 

“I salute you for your endeavour and perseverance and assure that we are with you, by all means, because our patience is running out at the situation in occupied Kashmir,” he added. 

He maintained that not only the occupied territory was under a lockdown for the past 65 days, amid curfew, media and communication blackout, India had also plunged the Kashmiris into economic impoverishment. 

“Nobody knows what has been happening to our brothers and sisters across the divide.” 

He regretted that the United Nations (UN) had not honoured its charter as well as resolutions on Kashmir and had, instead, left the Kashmiris at the mercy of 900000 Indian troops.  

“If the international community fails to do anything even after the lapse of two months, a big catastrophe can soon occur inside occupied Kashmir,” he warned.  

Mr Salahuddin also stressed upon the people at helm in Pakistan to realise their responsibilities and take “solid steps” so as to ensure liberation of the oppressed Kashmiris.  

Referring to the JKLF demand that UN Secretary General should send his special representative to them, he said: “Why a representative? Why not the UN chief himself whose organisation has pledged right to self determination to the Kashmiris through as many as 18 resolutions.”   

Earlier in the day, Mr Salahuddin also spoke to this correspondent by telephone, suggesting that a “national mass movement” towards the dividing line was indispensable to draw world attention. 

He told that early last month he had suggested to the AJK leadership that the LoC march should be from the entire base camp [AJK], irrespective of organisational affiliations, instead of any single party or group.  

The JKLF waited for a joint call and when there was none they set off on their own, he said.

“In my view, soon we will have to breach the LoC in a huge number …There is no doubt Indian army is barbarous and beastly and it can shoot at the gathering. Therefore, I suggest that around two to three thousand people in the vanguard of marchers should be equipped with arms so that they can respond to [Indian] bullets with bullets,” he said, believing that it would attract world attention. 

Recalling Prime Minister Imran Khan’s last month’s statement at a Muzaffarabad rally that Kashmiris should wait for his return from the UN to be told that what should they do, he said: “We are still waiting [….] We need to know what they are doing to bring the oppressed Kashmiris out of this situation.” 

Mr Salahuddin maintained that rallies and resolutions did manifest mere political and moral support, but Kashmiris needed something beyond such support. 

“Whatever [PM] Khan sahib says are just statements but on the ground there is dire need of some concrete action so that the oppressed Kashmiri nation, which seems to be without any chaperone at the moment, could get some relief.” 

He said being the cruellest imperialist power, India derived pleasure from the cries of Kashmiris. 

“It only understands the language of power…If the government of Pakistan is unable to help the unarmed Kashmiris, it should tell us plainly. Mere words will no more work.”

He said over the past 65 days, not demonstrations expressing anger at Indian move and solidarity with the besieged Kashmiris were held across the world, but many important personalities in USA had expressed concern over the situation in occupied Kashmir.

“Nevertheless the UN remains unmoved. Then one is tempted to askwhat is the point of having this organisation? 

In response to a question, Mr Salahuddin said Hizbul Mujahideen might give a call for a joint LoC march.

“Time has come to hold consultations on it. We are at the end of our tether.” 

“I believe if we do not do anything solid, we will be in the row of sinners on the Day of Judgment and our future generations will dub us as traitors,” he said.  

Tariq Naqash