Hundreds marched through a main thoroughfare here on Saturday in solidarity with people of Jammu and Kashmir demanding Pakistan’s “solid support” to their struggle.
The march, christened “azm-e-shahadat” was organised by Hizbul Mujahideen, It commenced from Sathra Morr and concluded at Burhan Wani Chowk.
Participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.
“War with India will continue till goal is achieved ,” read a placard.
Addressing the marching people, Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander Syed Salahuddin recounted sacrifices and ordeal of Kashmiri men, women and children and said there had been no let up in “atrocities” being perpetrated on Kashmiri people by the government forces with impunity.
“It’s the demand of Kashmiri people that the government and people as well as the armed and political leadership of Pakistan, while having full faith in Almighty Allah, should extend us solid support,” Salahuddin said, repeating words ‘solid support’ twice, in a clear reference to seeking Pakistani military aid.
Salahuddin said Jammu and Kashmir was neither India’s integral part or internal security problem nor a territorial dispute between the two countries.
“It is an issue of freedom and future of 15 million people,” he said.
He said the UN was silent about the “mass slaughter” of Kashmiri youth and that the situation warranted “diversification and innovation” in Pakistan’s foreign policy to counter India diplomatically.
The Hizbul Mujahideen chief said New Delhi’s denial of right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people and “criminal silence” of the international community had “pushed us to the path of armed struggle.”
“New Delhi itself imposed this war on us and now we will take it to logical end by evicting every single trooper from our motherland.
We do not have any international agenda and we just want implementation of the UN resolutions, envisaging a free, fair and impartial plebiscite to let us decide our fate on our own accord,” Sallahuddin said.
The militant leader said his group was ready to cooperate with India if New Delhi recognised the rights of Kashmiri people
“If New Delhi gives up its intransigence and accepts historical facts for a lasting solution to Kashmir issue, and is willing to hold meaningful talks with Pakistan and Kashmiri leadership on the basis of right to self-determination, we, the freedom fighters, are ready to extend all possible cooperation in this regard,” Salahuddin said.
ALL PARTIES CONFERENCE
Meanwhile, an ‘all parties conference’ of Kashmiri leaders was also held here on Saturday under the aegis of the AJK government, where leaders and representatives of different parties paid rich tributes to the “struggling people of Jammu aKashmir” and assured them of their fullest support.
The meet demanded Pakistan conduct an international Kashmir conference in Muzaffarabad and announced a protest to be held in London on April 18 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly scheduled to visit.
On Friday, Pakistan and the part of Kashmir controlled by Islamabad observed a ‘Solidarity Day’ for the region’s people as decided by the federal cabinet of the country.