August 16, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 2, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Aug 15: The All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) marked the Independence Day of India on Wednesday as ‘black day’ and led a big demonstration in front of the offices of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to protest against the military occupation and flagrant human rights abuses by India in Jammu and Kashmir.

The demonstrators held a sit-in outside the UN office, holding placards and banners in their hands and raising slogans in favour of freedom and right of self-determination, and against occupation and condemning the killings of innocent Kashmiri youth in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Leaders of the APHC and other Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) parties on the occasion strongly condemn the state terror and demanded unconditional military pull-out from the State of Jammu and Kashmir, an APHC press release stated.

Chanting pro-freedom slogans and raising black flags against the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, a memorandum addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was handed over to UNMOGIP officials by the convener of APHC AJK/Pakistan Chapter, Mohammad Farooq Rehmani, demanding urgent UN role, implementation of UNSC resolutions, reckoning the draconian laws, respecting human rights and releasing of political detainees, to set the stage ready for a peaceful and durable solution of the Kashmir issue.

The memorandum touched the enormity of rights abuses by Indian forces, and urged upon the UN secretary-general to revive the role of UN Security Council in the interest of durable peace, prosperity and human dignity in South Asia to release Kashmiris from the present quagmire.

After presenting the memorandum, the rally dispersed peacefully.