Thousands rally for Kashmir

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/KARACHI/QUETTA - Thousands of people rallied across the country on Friday to denounce Indian occupation of Kashmir.
A public holiday, Kashmir Solidarity Day, supports the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination in line with UN resolutions that call for a plebiscite in Kashmir.
Banners and hoardings calling for Kashmir’s freedom from Indian rule were put up by main roads and intersections throughout the country.
Pakistan observed a one-minute silence at 10:00 am as a mark of respect to the thousands of people killed in Held Kashmir.
In Islamabad, different political and religious organisations held rallies and seminars to highlight the plight of innocent Kashmiris.
Addressing a huge gathering at Aabpara Chowk, Amir JI Syed Munawar Hassan emphasised over the world community to ensure implementation of UN resolution regarding peaceful solution of Kashmir dispute. He stressed that there was a dire need to calibrate strategic plan to forcefully stop the atrocities of more than 7 million brutal Indian forces deputed in Occupied Kashmir.
“I ask President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to present balance sheet of military operations, which displaced more than 5 million innocent people from their homes,” he said.
The JI Amir criticised the lenient attitude of President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Kayani in response to the US and Indian aggressions. He asked why they were not protesting against the cruel decision of the US court against Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
It is pertinent to mention here that a fair number of Kashmiri women, children and displaced persons also participated in the rally. Top Kashmiri leader Abdur Rashid Turabi while addressing the rally’s participants highlighted the atrocities of brutal Indian forces and highlighted the miseries of Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, activists of Jamaat-ud-Dawa also arranged a rally in favour of Kashmiri people and against the Indian atrocities. They were holding placards and chanted slogans. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, General (r) Hameed Gul and other speakers on the occasion asked the Government of Pakistan to take strict action for the liberation of Kashmir dispute.
In Azad Kashmir, hundreds of JI activists rallied in Muzaffarabad, while hundreds of others formed a human chain in Kohala town.
“I warn India to stop human violations and pull out its forces from Occupied Kashmir,” AJK minister Raja Mohammad Naseem told the participants.
In Lahore, thousands of people took to the streets chanting ‘Allah-o-Akbar’, ‘We want jihad against India’ and ‘Kashmir will become Pakistan’.