KARACHI: Political and religious parties and civil society orgnisations took out rallies and held demonstrations across Sindh on Friday to express solidarity with people of India-held Kashmir on the occasion of Kashmir Day.
In Karachi, leaders of the Jamaat-i-Islami said at a ‘Kashmir Solidarity’ rally that the Kashmir issue was an ‘incomplete agenda of Partition’.
The rally was taken out from Jail chowrangi to the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam.
The leaders called upon the government to take up the Kashmir issue with India, link trade with India to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the aspirations of Kashmiris in light of United Nations resolutions.
In Hyderabad, activists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Sunni Tehreek took out rallies which terminated in demonstrations outside the press club and Nazriya Pakistan Rabita Council, Paksitan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers, JI and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-Noorani) staged demonstrations.
The leaders said that all Indian political parties including Congress, BJP and others were united in perpetuating Indian rule over Kashmir. They called for resolution of the issue in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In Mirpurkhas, most of the markets and shopping centres remained shut as JI activists held a demonstration against Indian occupation of Kashmir.
JI leaders demanded that the UN should implement its resolutions on Kashmir and urged the Pakistan government to force the Indian government to end violence in held Kashmir. In Badin and its adjoining towns, JI and Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) observed the day by taking out rallies to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
The participants in the rallies gathered outside the press club where the leaders demanded that the government take a strong stance over the Kashmir issue.
Kashmir Day was also observed in Tharparkar, Mithi, Islamkot, Matli, Talhar, Golarchi and Tando Bago.
In Khairpur, the district administration organised a walk to observe the day. The organisers said the day would send a message to the UN and the rest of the world that Pakistanis stood with their Kashmiri brethren.
In Dadu, Jamaat Ahle Sunat Wal Jamaat, Sunni Tehreek, Nazria Pakistan Rabita Council, JuD and PPP-SB took out rallies while another big rally was taken out by general public and students.
The leaders said that they supported the Kashmir cause wholeheartedly and demanded the UN force India to give freedom to Kashmiri people.
In Sukkur, JUI-F, JI, Muslim Students Organisation, Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadees, Jinnah Welfare Association, ST, JUP, Tanzeem Pakistani and JUP-Noonari took out rallies to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
At a programme held in connection with Kashmir Day, special assistant to chief minister, Dr Arshad Mughal, said that PPP had always raised the issue of Kashmir and it would continue to do so at all available forums.
In Jacobabad, activists of JI and JUI-F took out rallies to mark the day. The leaders said that the UN had failed to give right of self determination to people of Jammu and Kashmir where Indian army was busy meting out atrocities on innocent people.
They criticised international human rights organisations for their failure to raise voice against Indian atrocities.
Similar programmes were held in many other towns of the province.
Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2016
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