MIRPUR (AJK) - People throughout Azad Jammu & Kashmir observed 33rd martyrdom anniversary of Muhammad Maqbool Butt, an eminent leader of Kashmir Freedom Movement.

They renewed the pledge to continue the mission of the departed leader of the Kashmir freedom struggle till the achievement of the  Kashimirs’ legitimate right to self-determination under the spirit of the UN resolutions.

Rallies were taken out in all small and major towns of AJK to pay glorious tributes to Shaheed Maqbool Butt who was put to gallows by India this day in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 1984 for his demand of the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu Kashmir state.

Special functions were held in Mirpur to observe the anniversary of one of the founders leader of the Kashmir freedom struggle. A joint demonstration was staged coupled with a big procession taken out by various social, political and student organisations including Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Conference, Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation, J&K Students Liberation Front and other groups.

The public marched through major city streets chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans besides the slogans in commemoration of the supreme sacrifices of lives by Maqbool Butt, Dr Afzal Guru and other Kashmiri martyrs.

The procession converged into a mammoth rally at the central Shaheed chowk. Addressing the rally, speakers paid rich  tributes to Maqbool Butt for giving the supreme sacrifice of his life for the cause of the liberation of Jammu & Kashmir from the Indian yoke. Speakers including ex-president of Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front Azeem Dutt Advocate, JKLF leaders Saad Insari Advocate and Khawaja Pervez Iqbal reiterated Kashmiris’ resolve to continue their mission for bringing the Kashmir freedom struggle to its logical end.

The speakers called upon the international community to exert pressure on India to immediately hand over the mortal remains of Maqbool Butt Shaheed to his family members and friends for its proper burial with traditional religious respect and honour.

They said that Maqbool Butt’s Martyrdom Day of February 11, 1984 is the black day in the history of Kashmir Freedom movement. They said that sacrifice of life by Maqbool Butt infused a new spirit and resolve into Kashmiris to accelerate their struggle for  the achievement of their fundamental right to self-determination constantly being denied by India since last 70 years.

They said, “The best way to pay rich tributes to Maqbool Butt is to continue the mission of the departed founder leader of the freedom struggle till the achievement of the goal.” They said that the supreme sacrifice of life by Maqbool Butt is a beacon for the Kashmiri people in their indigenous struggle for freedom which infused a new spirit in the struggle for right to self-determination.

Paying rich tributes to Kashmiri freedom-fighter Afzal Guru hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar jail three years ago, the speakers stated that Guru was wrongly implicated in the case as he was already behind bars in the Indian prison on the day of alleged attack on the Indian parliament’s building in New Delhi in 2001.

They called upon the International court of justice to institute an inquiry commission to probe into the judicial murder of Afzal Guru. They urged upon United Nations as well as international human rights organisations especially the Amnesty International to immediately move against the continued genocide of the innocent Kashmiris in Indian-Held Kashmir.

They lamented India for constantly acting upon its traditional policy of deviation and stubbornness with the ulterior motives to continue depriving Kashmiris of their birth right to self-determination. They demanded inclusion of Jammu Kashmir people, major party to the Kashmir dispute, in the dialogue between India and Pakistan for the early peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue according to their aspirations.

They reminded United Nations of its due responsibility to play its due role for the early peaceful settlement of the Kashmir problem according to the wishes of Jammu & Kashmir people with the special attention to save the region from the threat of nuclear conflict.

The speakers also demanded immediate demilitarisation of occupied Jammu & Kashmir state, unconditional release of all the political detainees, repeal of all the black laws in the held territory.

Earlier, a large number of the activists of JKNLF, JKLF, Plebiscite Front, NSF and other social and political organisations took out a torch-bearing procession at Shaheed chowk. The participants of the rally put on the candles of freedom in memory of the Kashmiri martyrs coupled with the renewal of the pledge to continue the mission of Maqbool Butt, Afzal Guru and other Kashmiri martyrs.