Show of support: ‘Our position on Kashmir dispute will not change’

Thousands rally to mark Kashmir Day.

DERA GHAZI KHAN/ FAISALABAD:

Thousands of people across the province took out rallies on Thursday to mark Kashmir Day.

In Faisalabad, special prayers were held at nearly all mosques in the city. In some areas, Quran khawani was held for those who had died during their struggle for Kashmir’s independence.

Various religious and political organisations including the Sunni Tehreek, Jamaat-i-Islami, Shabab Milli, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Jamiat-i-Ahle Hadith and Sunni Ittehad Council organised rallies, seminars, meetings and conferences to mark Kashmir Day.

Participants of the rallies carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans expressing solidarity with Kashmiris.

Several educational institutions held declamation contests on the Kashmir dispute. Faisalabad Arts Council organised a theatrical performance called Aakhri Dam Tak. It depicted the commitment and determination of Kashmiris in the face of Indian tyranny in Kashmir.

Jamaat-i-Islami activists made a human chain at Chiniot Bazaar Chowk. Hundreds of people joined the human chain and chanted slogans against India.

Jamiat Ahle Hadith provincial ameer Qari Muhammad Hanif Bhatti said Kashmiri people had shed enough blood for nearly seven decades to attain freedom.

“Their sacrifice will not go waste,” he said. He said India should avoid further bloodshed in Kashmir.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, the arts council organised a function to pay tribute to those who had lost their lives in the struggle for independence of Kashmir. Addressing the function, DCO Nadeemur Rehman said that Kashmir was Pakistan’s jugular vein.

“Pakistanis must not back an inch from their position on Kashmir,” he said. He said people of the country were united against Indian atrocities in Kashmir. “We should celebrate Kashmir Day in such a way that the dream of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris is materialised,” he said.  He thanked people for coming out in large numbers to show solidarity with Kashmir.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.