MUZAFFARABAD, June 11: Amir Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, on Tuesday declared that no restrictions on the Mujahideen to cross the Line of Control in Kashmir will be accepted and asked the military government to “give up hypocrisy and take a bold stand on this issue.”

He was speaking at a grand “Defence of Country” rally here at the Officers Club Hall under the aegis of Jamaat-i-Islami Azad Kashmir.

All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Ghulam Mohammad Safi and the outgoing JI chief of AJK Abdur Rashid Turabi also spoke on the occasion, besides others.

Earlier, Qazi Hussain was brought to the venue in a big procession from Quaid-e-Azam Bridge in Domel, the confluence of rivers Jhelum and Neelum.

The emotionally charged youth, dozens of whom were wearing shrouds, were shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.

“Martyrdom is our destination,”, “We will not allow Musharraf to bow down. We will not allow sell-out of Kashmir,” and “We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours,” were some other slogans they raised repeatedly and rhythmically.

Some JI workers also torched Indian flags at Quaid-e-Azam Bridge, before they started their march towards the Officers Club Hall.

Addressing the rally, Qazi Hussain Ahmed emphatically said the Line of Control had no sanctity, because it was drawn against the wishes of the Kashmiris.

“No one can stop the people of Kashmir from crossing this bogus and bloody line and they will continue to trample it,” he said.

“The LoC cannot divide Kashmir because it is a temporary line. Giving sanctity to it is an excess with the Kashmiris. We cannot accept it,” he said.

Stating that Kashmir was a disputed territory whose future was to be decided in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the JI chief declared that as plebiscite was not held and Kashmir remained under illegal occupation, Jihad against New Delhi would not be stopped.

“Azad Kashmir is the base camp of freedom struggle. There should not be any restrictions on the Mujahideen in the base camp and the Mujahideen will enjoy complete freedom here,” he said.

Qazi also criticized the arrest of Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, leaders of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammad, the two outfits India blames were behind an attack on its parliament in December last year.

He asked the military government to “give up hypocrisy and declare categorically that Kashmir is not part of India and that the Kashmiris have all rights to launch resistance (against Indian rule).”

The JI chief said Pakistani troops were also bound to help the oppressed Kashmiris, because Pakistan was a party to Kashmir issue. Stating that terrorism and Jihad were opposite to each other, he observed that Jihad was to end terrorism and bring peace.

“Kashmiris are not terrorists, but India is, which has killed more than 80,000 innocent people besides unleashing worst atrocities in the occupied territory.”

Qazi also rejected proposals for joint India-Pakistan monitoring or US-Britain patrolling along the Line of Control.

“Acceptance of US-Britain patrols will annoy China,” he said, adding “Pakistan had already annoyed Iran by giving bases to the US near Gawadar.”

Instead, he said, the UN observers’ mission in Kashmir should be strengthened. This is a UN’s issue and should be taken up at the UN, he added.

He said war was not a good thing and “we want peace but not at the cost of our freedom.”

He assured the APHC chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat and leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen and other fighter groups that they were not alone in their struggle but the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir were with them.