MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was rocked by rallies and demonstrations on Friday to condemn the unrelenting shelling by the Indian troops from across the Line of Control (LoC).

People took to the streets not only in the main cities, but also in the areas along the dividing line to express their indignation against India for targeting civilian populations ‘without any provocation’.

The call for the anti-India rallies was given by the All Parties Kashmir Coordination Council, a loose alliance of political and religious leadership and representatives of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference formed to take collaborative steps to highlight Kashmir issue.

In Muzaffarabad, a rally was taken out from the press club, with representatives of government, political parties and refugee organisations leading it.

The participants who were carrying a big banner and several placards inscribed with slogans condemning Indian shelling at LoC and Working Boundary and atrocities within the Indian-held territory.

They also shouted similar slogans as they paraded through the main thoroughfare – from press club to the office of UN military observers in Domel.

“Whatever fancy slogans the Indian government may raise to revamp its image, its conduct within the occupied territory (of Kashmir) and along the Line of Control fully exposes its fascist face,” said Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, leader of the Pasban-e-Hurriyat, an organisation of Kashmiri migrants.

He pointed out that as chief minister of Gujarat Mr Narendra Modi had earned notoriety as the killer of Muslims, which he was jealously guarding after assuming the office of the prime minister.

“This time round he has chosen the state of Jammu and Kashmir to quench his thirst for the blood of Muslims,” he alleged.

Mr Ghazali maintained that the Indian premier was pushing the region to the brink of a full blown war to meet domestic political needs.

The silence of the UN and international community could spell disaster for the global peace, he warned.

Shaukat Javed Mir, media adviser to the AJK chapter of People’s Party, pointed out that while the world powers, mainly the United States, were apparently aspiring for peace in South Asia, they had lately accorded unnecessary reception to a person (Mr Modi) who was hell-bent upon vitiating this region’s atmosphere with his jingoistic attitude.

“What we had been saying about India from time to time stands vindicated following ruthless Indian shelling of innocent and unarmed populations along the dividing line,” he said.

Later, a protest note was also delivered to the UN observers, calling upon the world body to intervene in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, without further ado, to save the situation from getting worse.

It also reminded the UN that since the long pending Kashmir issue was the root cause of tension between India and Pakistan, the UN should do the needful to resolve it in accordance with its own resolutions.

Published in Dawn, October 11th , 2014