Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, people observed Friday, today, as the Day of Pledge Reaffirmation, as part of the campaign for the boycott of forthcoming so-called Indian parliamentary elections on Sunday and Wednesday.
Call for observance of the day was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. They strongly appealed to the people to remain aloof from the polling process.
Despite rains, the day was marked by anti-India demonstrations and election boycott rallies in Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Islamabad, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara, Bandipore and other areas. The demonstrators raised high-pitched pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. They also waved Pakistani flags at various places. The leaders of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Democratic Freedom Party, Peoples Freedom League and other organizations including Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Zahoor Ahmed Butt and Muhammad Ramzan Khan continued poll boycott campaign in different areas of Central and South Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement held a demonstration at Talab Khatikan in Jammu against the gross human rights violations by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir.
The puppet authorities continued to put Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed, Zafar Akbar Butt and Ayaz Akbar under house arrest or in custody to stop them from leading the demonstrations and rallies.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a gathering at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid over telephone from his residence said that farcical elections in the territory could not be a substitute to the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Farooq Ahmed Tawheedi and other leaders in their statements urged the people to stay away from the polling process. Various Sikh organizations including Sikh Intellectual Circle and Sikh Students Federation have asked the Kashmiris particularly the Sikh community to refrain from casting votes.
Meanwhile, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement urged the international community to take practical steps towards resolution of the Kashmir dispute and support the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle for securing their right to self-determination. He condemned India’s rejection to the US offer for playing an active role for mediation in facilitating talks between Pakistan and India.
On the other hand, as per the protest calendar issued by the joint resistance leadership, complete shutdown will be observed in Srinagar, Badgam and Ganderbal districts on Sunday against the holding of election drama in these areas for the Srinagar constituency.
