The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter organised a grand torchlight rally at Burhan Shaheed Chowk in Muzaffarabad ahead of October 27, observed as Kashmir Black Day.  Hurriyat leaders, AJK politicians and prominent personalities from various walks of life participated in the rally.  The participants included AJK Minister Saqib Majeed Raja, APHC-AJK General Secretary Advocate Pervez Ahmed Shah, Raja Khadim Hussain, Nazir Karnai, Ashfaq Majeed, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, Shaukat Javed Mir of the Pakistan Peoples Party, trade leader Abdul Razzaq and Yasir Naqvi of the Muslim Conference among others. 

The participants expressed solidarity with the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and reaffirmed their support for their right to self-determination. The torchlight rally symbolised the Kashmiri people’s continued struggle and sacrifices and underscored the need to keep the Kashmir dispute on the international agenda.  Addressing the rally, the speakers highlighted the historical significance of October 27 and described the Kashmir dispute as a pressing humanitarian and political issue requiring a just and lasting settlement in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant United Nations resolutions.

They urged the international community to play an effective role in ensuring the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.  The speakers pledged to continue raising their voices for the rights and freedom of the Kashmiri people, stressing the importance of sustained political and diplomatic efforts to highlight the dispute at international forums.  The rally reaffirmed that the Kashmiri people’s demand for self-determination remains alive and that a just resolution of the long-standing dispute requires sustained international attention and meaningful action. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)