MUZAFFARABAD: A group of Kashmiri activists continued their ‘foot march’ through the Neelum valley road on the second consecutive day on Wednesday as a novel way to draw attention of the international community towards the Kashmir issue.

The marchers were holding one each flag of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), apart from banners and placards inscribed with slogans that called upon the United Nations (UN) to implement its resolution of January 5, 1949, envisaging right of the Kashmiris to decide their future by acceding either to India or Pakistan on their own free accord.

The march was organised by Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir (PHJK), an organisation of post-1989 migrants from across the Line of Control (LoC) that has been regularly staging different events to highlight the state sponsored terrorism in India occupied territory as well as New Delhi’s brazen backtracking on its commitments about the Kashmiris right to self-determination.

It began at 10am on Tuesday from Athmuqam, the district headquarters of Neelum located some 84 kilometres northeast of Muzaffarabad, and after covering a distance of 18 kilometres on foot it stopped at Jura Bandi until the next morning.

According to PHJK chairman Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, who is leading the march along with some other office bearers, the number of participants from Athmuqam was 75, as it indicated the passing of 75 years to Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Wednesday, he said, the marchers resumed their activity from Jura Bandi at 9am during which they also held a symbolic sit-in near Seemari village from where India’s military positions on the other side of the divide can be seen with the naked eye.

Mr Ghazali, who spoke to Dawn, said that they had stopped at Nauseri for an overnight stay after covering a distance of almost 28 kilometres.

“We will resume our march on Thursday morning from Nauseri,” he said.

In response to a question, Mr Ghazali said harsh weather had failed to dent the resolve of the participants.

“We want the international community in general and the United Nations in particular to rid the Kashmiris of India’s tyranny and help them exercise their long overdue right to self determination,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022