Shehryar-Khan-AfridiParliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi on Friday warned that Indian regime is replicating the Jammu massacre in Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley to bring about a demographic change in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir but Pakistan would never allow this sinister plan to be executed.
Addressing a seminar held to pay tributes to the martyrs of Jammu Massacre here in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Shehryar Afridi said that India was implementing a systematic ethnic cleaning of Muslims from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and regimes after regimes were executing the cleansing plan under a well thought out demographic change strategy.
He said that in 1947, in between 250,000 to 400,000 residents of Jammu – mostly Muslims – were mercilessly murdered by Hindu zealots. Jammu massacre was worst in human history after World War-II and Indian state orchestrated and executed this genocide plan and hence it should be declared as a terrorist state, Afridi demanded.
He said that Jammu Martyrs’ day is observed to remember the sacrifices of the martyrs when Dogra ruler’s force and armed Hindu fanatics had killed Muslims in Jammu. Terming November 6, 1947 as the darkest chapter in the Kashmir history, Shehryar Afridi said that the Hindu terrorist groups committed the genocide in the name of sending the Muslims to Pakistan.
He said that children and women were also killed while many women were raped and kidnapped. “The massacre of the Muslims of Jammu is a glaring example of systematic crimes against humanity in the Illegally Indian Occupied Kashmir. Muslims of Jammu have devoted their life, wealth, dignity, relatives and business in the name of Pakistan. The martyrs of Jammu played their part, now their struggle will be taken to logical end,” Afridi said and added that the sacrifices of Jammu martyrs “will not go waste”.
“Struggle against the Indian aggression would continue until the complete success,” he said and added that Pakistan and its people would remain at the forefront to take the Kashmiri freedom struggle to the next level. He said that those who were martyred by the Indian forces in 1947 were the actual torch bearers of Kashmir Liberation Struggle and raised slogans of accession with Pakistan. He lauded the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights for raising the voice of oppressed Kashmiris.
Responding to questions being raised about the reports of provincial status being accorded to Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Afridi urged Kashmiris not to be trapped in the fake news being projected by Indian media. “The provisional provincial status to GB would be in line with the United Nations Security Council resolutions,” he asserted. “Kashmir case was for completing the agenda of Pakistan which has been left over from history,” he said. “India would soon be disintegrated due to its increasing fault lines while the world was raising fingers over the humanitarian crisis developing in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” Afridi said.
He said that Kashmir Committee has formed its advisory boards to develop separate strategies on lawfare, culture, social media and digital space. He accused the political leaders of the country of hypocrisy and lying on the issue of Gilgit Baltistan and said that during the briefing all parties had agreed to giving provisional provincial status to GB for empowering the locals and development of the region.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mehmood said that the martyrs of Jammu remind us the cause of freedom of Jammu and Kashmir and the PTI would remain the flag bearer of the Kashmiri freedom struggle. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised to act as Ambassador for Kashmir and he has proved to be so. “Pakistan had raised Kashmir issue in the United Nations Security Council thrice which was a major achievement after 55 years,” he added. He said that despite the fact that Covid-19 had badly affected Pakistan’s diplomatic struggle yet Pakistan has made efforts to raise Kashmiri at all international forums.
Mehmood said, “despite Indian back channeling to help start track-2 talks on Kashmir, Prime Minister Imran Khan has made it clear that no talks can start without reversing the situation to pre-August 5 status in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
