MUZAFFARABAD: Kashmiris, living on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over, observed the Kashmir Martyrs' Day on Tuesday to pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931. Protest rallies and demonstrations were held all over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to invite the world's attention towards the un-resolved Kashmir dispute and gruesome human rights violations by the Indian forces on Kashmiri people in occupied Kashmir. The people on this occasion reaffirmed their determination to continue the struggle till the achievement of their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations agreed resolutions.
On July 13, 1931, the troops of Dogra Maharaja had martyred 22 Kashmiri one after the other, outside the Central Jail in Srinagar during court proceedings against Abdul Qadeer, who had asked the Kashmiri people to defy the Dogra rule. Thus, 22 youth sacrificed their lives till the completion of Azaan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in his Tweets said that Pakistan stands with the Kashmiris in their just struggle and would not compromise till they get their right to self-determination guaranteed by UNSC resolutions.
The prime minister said, “we stand with Kashmiris on Kashmir Maryrs’ Day and pay tribute to 22 shuhada of 13 July 1931, martyred when Dogra Maharaja’s soldiers fired on peaceful protestors. Kashmiris struggle against tyranny and illegal Indian occupation is steeped in a history of resistance and sacrifice”.
The premier also wrote, “this indomitable spirit of resistance remains alive as Kashmiri men and women continue to fight illegal Indian occupation.”
Meanwhile, PMLN President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif paid homage to the martyrs of Kashmir and said Pakistan will never ever leave them alone.
In a statement on Kashmir Martyrs' Day Tuesday, he said on July 13, 1931, 21 Kashmiris were brutally martyred and scores wounded. He said the massacre took place in the courtyard of Srinagar Central Jail and the crime of these Kashmiris was freedom and love for Islam.
He said that Abdul Qadir's speech for respect and dignity of the Holy Quran for the right of freedom and against slavery of oppression was considered a crime. “This series of sacrifices by the people of Kashmir for freedom was still going on with the same spirit,” he maintained.
“The Kashmiris are moving forward with patience and bravery for their rights and freedom. We pay homage to the martyrs of Kashmir,” Shehbaz said, adding, “this was an indelible chapter of the unforgettable story of bravery of the people of Kashmir.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir, following in the footsteps of the martyrs of Kashmir, were continuing the tradition of head-selling and truth-telling, adding that like British imperialism, India's aggressive occupation would be humiliated and the sun of independence will rise soon.
“May Allah Almighty elevate the ranks of the martyrs of Kashmir and exalt the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir with the blessing of freedom,” he concluded.
Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, AJK Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan paid glowing tributes to the Kashmiri martyrs and renewed the pledge to continue the struggle of Kashmir liberation till the complete liberation of occupied Kashmir from Indian clutches.
He said the supreme sacrifice offered by the Kashmiri martyrs on 13 July, 1931 had infused new spirit among the Kashmiri people and had added a new chapter in the history of resistance and sacrifice. He said the sacrifices of 13 July, 1931 martyrs had served a beacon light for the Kashmiri struggling for their right to self-determination and added that this indomitable spirit of sacrifices will remain alive in the freedom history of Kashmir. The AJK premier said that the objective for which the Kashmiri martyrs had offered their sacrifices will continue and expressed the hope that the long night of terror and repressions would soon end and the dawn of freedom will rise and Kashmiri will ultimately get their fundamental right to self-determination.
He said the month of July has a significant importance in the freedom history of Kashmir and added that during the month of July the historical accession to Pakistan resolution was passed while the sacrifice of Burhan Wani has also given new dimension to the Kashmir liberation movement.