The Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) along with civil society organisations have condemned a year of India’s atrocities against the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, Pakistan’s civil society organisations slammed India’s BJP government for reversing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by revoking Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution on August 5 last year. By shutting down the internet in the occupied Kashmir, India made Kashmiris suffer in an unprecedented manner and abused their human rights under the presence of the heavy military, the statement added.
“We – the members of civil society and PIPFPD – believe that Kashmir is a humanitarian problem and not territorial. We demand peaceful resolution of the decades-old dispute. Repression is no solution while the negotiation is the way forward of resolving contemporary issues,” the statement said.
Karamat Ali of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Anis Haroon of the Women Action Forum, Uzma Noorani and Dr Haroon Ahmed of PIPFPD, Dr Tipu Sultan of the Pakistan Peace Coalition, Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation, Zahid Farooque of the Urban Resource Centre and others endorsed the statement.
PTI’s rallies
In connection with Youme Istehsal-e-Kashmir (Day of Kashmir’s Exploitation), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf held a boat rally in Keamari. The participants carried flags of Pakistan and Kashmir, and raised slogans to express solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren. The rally was led by PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh.
Meanwhile, a rally was staged from the Quaidabad Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi. Separately, a rally was arranged by the PTI Malir and the PTI Labour Wing Karachi. Addressing the rallies, Sheikh said a train march was underway from Karachi to Sukkur to mark Day of Kashmir’s Exploitation.
Palestine Foundation
In a joint statement, Palestine Foundation Pakistan’s key leaders said: “The Kashmir issue demands full attention and practical steps of the government. The people, the government and the armed forces of Pakistan can work together to liberate Kashmir.”
The leaders include former MPA Mahfooz Yar Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Amir Muslim Pervez, PML-Q leader Syed Tariq Hassan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Israr Abbasi, Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen’s Allama Baqir Zaidi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan President Allama Qazi Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui, JUI-F leader Maulana Umar Sadiq, PILER executive director Karamat Ali and Palestine Foundation Pakistan’s central leader Sabir Abu Maryam.
At a press conference, they demanded an end to India’s terrorism in occupied Kashmir and independence of Kashmir. They said Kashmir issue should be resolved by following the UN resolutions, and if India did not stop its state terrorism then the Kashmiris should be provided with support and cooperation in all possible ways.