Islamabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab North organized a series of events, rallies, and marches across Punjab to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. The activities were held in multiple districts, including Attock, Murree, Jhelum, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujar Khan, Gujrat, and Lala Musa, drawing participation from large numbers of citizens.
On the occasion, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Dr. Tariq Saleem addressed Kashmir Solidarity rallies in Jhelum and Gujrat, while Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Iqbal Khan addressed participants in Attock.
Speaking to the rallies, Dr. Tariq Saleem said that Indian-occupied Kashmir presents the picture of the world’s largest prison, where nearly 900,000 Indian troops have been oppressing unarmed and innocent Kashmiris for the past 78 years. He said that a country claiming to be the world’s largest democracy has turned occupied Kashmir into a center of continuous human rights violations. He added that people of all ages across Pakistan have taken to the streets to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people and to convey the message that “the people of Kashmir are not alone.” Dr. Tariq Saleem recalled that the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had described Kashmir as the jugular vein of Pakistan, and said that it remains the primary responsibility of Pakistan’s leadership to play a proactive and effective role at international forums to secure the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He stated that India has deprived Kashmiris of their constitutional and birthright freedoms through force, despite multiple United Nations resolutions highlighting human rights violations in the occupied territory. He criticized the international community for its silence in the face of India’s continued defiance of these resolutions.
Addressing the rally in Attock, Iqbal Khan said that under black laws, including Article 370 and Article 35A, India is forcibly evicting Muslims from occupied Kashmir, confiscating their properties, and attempting to alter the demographic composition of the region. He said that non-local Hindus and citizens from other parts of India are being settled in occupied Kashmir to reduce Muslims from a majority to a minority. Iqbal Khan added that despite these measures, India has failed to suppress the Kashmiri freedom struggle. He stated that more than 100,000 Kashmiris have laid down their lives, while over 11,000 Kashmiris continue to endure severe torture in Indian prisons and detention centers. Despite immense human and material sacrifices, he said, the Kashmiri people remain steadfast in their struggle and continue to express their desire to join Pakistan. The speakers reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami will continue to raise its voice at all levels in support of the just struggle of the Kashmiri people and urged the international community to take immediate notice of the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
