Altaf Hameed Rao
MIRPUR (AJK): Demonstrations and rallies were held all across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday to condemn the US decision of designating Hizb supreme commander Syed Sallahudin as “global terroristâ€.
The public rallies, which were attended by political activists, students, traders and members of political and religious organizations, while expressing their resentment the decision raised full throated anti-US and anti-India slogans saying that the lopsided decision was made to appease India.The participants of the rallies said, “Syed Salahuddin is not a terrorist. He is the hero of the people of Jammu & Kashmir who is fighting for the freedom of Jammu & Kashmir under the banner of the Hizbul Majahideenâ€.
Expressing their full support to Kashmiris’ just cause, the participants of the rallies called upon the United States to withdraw her unwarranted executive order. The participants made it clear that the Kashmiris’ indigenous and legitimate freedom struggle was purely for the sake of the liberation of their motherland from Indian illegal occupation. They also called upon the US democrats and policymakers to influence upon the US President to immediately withdraw his decision, which they said was taken in haste to appease his Indian customer [Narendar Modi].
In Mirpur, the rally was jointly arranged by local branch of AJK Jamaat e Islami with the coordination of various social, political, religious and human rights organizations as well as other representative forums of the people from all shades of public opinion. The rally passed through various city streets chanting slogans against India, Israel and the United States for their nefarious abortive attempts to portray Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom and its leaders as terrorism and terrorists in the external world. Holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-American, anti-Indian and pro freedom slogans the participants of the rally chanted slogans in favor of Syed Salahuddin and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
Addressing the participants of the rally the speakers said that the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leadership had never been involved in terrorist activities and purely striving for the freedom of Occupied Kashmir and raising voice for innocent Kashmiris against Indian atrocities.
“The nefarious move of branding great hero of Kashmiris freedom struggle a global terrorist is the result of nexus between American President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiâ€, speakers said adding that the people of Jammu & Kashmir living on both sides of the LoC and rest of the world have rejected the US president Trump’s hostile narrative designating Salahudin as terrorist.
“Since early and peaceful solution of Kashmir issue is the key to regional and global peace, it is incumbent upon the United Nations, global human rights organization and peace and freedom loving nations to exercise their respective global responsibilities to ensure early and peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the major party to the much delayed global issueâ€, they added.
Of those who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Riaz Ahmed, Malik Muhammad Aslam, Zulqarnain Butt and Molana Muhammad Ayub Muslim of local chapter of AJK Jamaat Islami, KPC Secretary General Muhammad Iqbal Khawaja, Ch. Mansha of PTI, AJK Chapter, Asif Nadeem Butt and Humayoon Mirza of PPP AJK.
Meanwhile, similar protest rallies and demonstrations were also held in other parts of the AJK including the capital city of Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimbher, Rawalakot, Bagh and other places wherein the participants condemned the US act and expressed full solidarity with Kashmiris who were fighting for freedom. “Since India is an aggressor in the region, her occupying forces in the held Kashmir should be declared terrorists by Washington instead of defaming Kashmir freedom struggle and its leadersâ€, speakers said.
The United States, they observed, absolutely ignored the ongoing human rights abuses inflicted upon Kashmiris by Indian occupation forces.