Muzaffarabad, Sept 17: Activists of Jamaat-i-Islami took to the streets here on Friday to condemn the fresh spate of atrocities and killings in Kashmir but no such programme was organized by the government or the ruling Muslim Conference party in the state capital, notwithstanding a call to this effect by Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan.
However, in the lakeside city of Mirpur, a big rally attended by over 5000 people, including political workers, traders, students and government servants, was held to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
 The AJK minister for tourism, Muhammad Tahir Khokhar, who belongs to Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) was prominent among the participants of Mirpur rally. However, no other cabinet member was reported to have taken part in any demonstration elsewhere in AJK.
Prime Minister Sardar Attique himself preferred to stay in Kashmir House Islamabad - an edifice where he has spent most of his time since assuming the office on July 29 - instead of leading any rally, something one of his predecessors, Barrister Sultan Mahmood, would frequently do during his rule (1996-2001).
In Muzaffarabad, the JI rally began from upper adda and after parading through the capital’s main artery culminated outside the press club where its leaders delivered speeches.
 “India has once again seen that its force has failed to quell the Kashmiris’ quest for freedom. The international community must play its role before its too late,” said JIvice president Shaikh Aqeelur Rehman.
Similar rallies, mostly under the aegis of JI, were held in Kotli, Bagh, Neelum and Dhirkot .
Members of the Central Bar Association Muzaffarabad also boycotted judicial work and nearly two dozen of them came to the press club to express their indignation against the atrocities perpetrated by India on unarmed Kashmiris.
When contacted the AJK minister for information Mahmood Riaz said that why the cabinet members had not participated in pro-freedom rallies, he said: “People have taken part in the rallies in big number and I don’t think participation or non participation of any minister makes any difference.”
AJK UNIVERSITY
Meanwhile, the AJK University Officers Welfare Association (OWA) has also condemned recent atrocities in Kashmir and called upon the United Nations to play its role for resolution of the long pending issue on its agenda.
A resolution, unanimously adopted by a large gathering at the association’s oath taking ceremony, said Kashmir was not an issue of territory but a matter of the birth right of the Kashmiri people and the UN must arrange a free and fair plebiscite to enable the Kashmiris exercise their inalienable right to self determination.
Without  peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue, peace could not be guaranteed in South Asia, the resolution said, and called upon the international community to help resolve the festering issue according to the aspirations of the Kashmiris and the UN resolutions.
Earlier, AJKU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Habibur Rehman, OWA president Raja Ashiq Hussain and secretary general Zafar Iqbal also spoke on the occasion.
STRIKE
 Meanwhile, the traders in Muzaffarabad were said to have resolved to observe a complete shutter down strike on Saturday to express solidarity with Kashmiris.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST