Srinagar, Oct. 3: A “Quit Kashmir movement” has been launched in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir too, echoing the four-month-old agitation on the Indian side of the Line of Control.
The campaign in PoK has been started by the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) faction led by Amanullah Khan. It has had a low-key beginning since October 1 but is expected to intensify over the next three weeks.
The movement aims at “re-unification and complete independence” of the state, now divided by the LoC, said Touqeer Geelani, a spokesperson for the Amanullah faction.
The JKLF is the premier separatist group in both Kashmirs but is divided into factions, two of which are led by Amanullah and Yasin Malik. Both factions have units on both sides of the LoC, but Amanullah is based in Pakistan while Malik lives in Srinagar.
A meeting of the Amanullah faction’s central committee was held in Rawalpindi on September 30, says a statement issued last week by Touqeer. The meeting decided to “expand the Quit Kashmir movement to PoK and (Pakistan’s) northern areas, including Gilgit and Baltistan”, the statement said.
In Indian Kashmir, the four-month-old agitation has crippled life and left over 100 people dead, but it remains to be seen how much support the campaign can muster in PoK. The campaign in Indian Kashmir is led by pro-Pakistan Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who will oppose any such “movement” in PoK.
“The JKLF has decided to hold a series of protest demonstrations in Pakistan-occupied parts of Kashmir from September 30 and sit-in programmes from October 22 to 27 at different places close to the LoC to enlist support for a concerted movement,” Touqeer’s statement said.
It said public meetings would be held from October 1 to 20 at all district headquarters, colleges and university campuses in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. “We will consolidate the otherwise suppressed national aspirations for re-unification and complete independence of the entire state,” Touqeer said.
“The JKLF will hold a ‘national integration restoration week’ from October 21 as a mark of protest against these invading foreign occupying forces in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, apparently referring to both Indian and Pakistani forces.
“On October 22, 1947, tribals supported by Pakistani forces entered Jammu and Kashmir to plunder and on October 27, 1947, the Indian forces arrived in Srinagar to occupy Jammu and Kashmir... with the result (that) the state was divided between India and Pakistan,” the statement added.
Amanullah’s daughter Asma is married to People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone.
A leader of Malik’s faction said Amanullah’s campaign didn’t have his group’s support. “We stand for complete independence of both parts of Kashmir, but it is our prerogative when and where to start which campaign,” he said.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the founder and pioneering organization of the ongoing freedom struggle for re-unification and complete independence of Jammu Kashmir State, has declared to expand the “QUIT KASHMIR” movement, launched in Indian occupied parts of Kashmir to the Pakistani occupied parts of Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, so as to make it a strong unified voice of the entire Jammu Kashmir State. In this regard, to drive a popular support for a concerted movement, JKLF has decided a series of protest demonstrations in Pakistani occupied parts of Kashmir from Sept. 30, 2010 and sit-in programmes between Oct. 22 to Oct 27, 2010 at different places, close to the Cease-fire-Line. This was decided in the meeting of the JKLF Central Committee held in its Central Information Office at Rawalpindi, Chaired by by Amanullah Khan, the Chief Patron of the organization attended by many other leaders of JKLF.
In a press release issued from here, it is said that, against the unabated human rights violations by the Indian forces in her occupied parts of Kashmir, JKLF will hold a nation-wide protest demonstrations on Sept. 30, 2010 followed by series of public meetings from Oct. 01 to Oct. 20, 2010 at all District Headquarters, Colleges and University Campuses in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to drive the popular support for “Quit-Kashmir Movement” aimed at to express their strong will and determination and to consolidate the otherwise suppressed national aspirations for re-unification and complete independence of the entire State.
Meanwhile; in the light of Oct. 22, the day when in 1947 the Tribals of Pakistan, supported by Pakistani forces, entered into Jammu Kashmir to plunder and Oct. 27, the day when Indian forces dropped at Srinagar Airport pushing out the tribal forces and occupied Jammu Kashmir, with the result the State was divided between India and Pakistan; JKLF will hold “National Integration Restoration Week” from Oct. 21 to Oct 27, 2010 and as a mark of Protest against these invading foreign occupying forces in Jammu & Kashmir.
In this regard on Oct. 22, 2010 JKLF will hold a Protest Long-March from Khoiratta to Seeri in District Kotli followed by a Sit-In programme with a public meeting close to the Cease-Fire-Line known as the Line-of-Control at Seeri, while on Oct. 25, 2010 another Protest Long-March will take place from Hajeera to Teetrinote in District Rawalokat culminated by a Sit-In programme with public meeting close to the Cease-Fire-Line at Teetrinote. Similarly to culminate the “National Integration Restoration Week”, JKLF will hold another Protest Long-March on Oct. 27, 2010 from Muzaffarabad to Chakoti in District Muzaffarabd to be concluded with a Sit-In programme with a public meeting addresses close to the Cease-Fire-Line at Chakoti.
All these programmes are centrally focused and mainly aimed at to convey to the world at large and to the Govt. of Pakistan and India the strong will and determination and expression of Kashmiris’ national aspirations across the divide for re-unification and complete independence of the forcibly divided Jammu & KashmirState.
In the meeting JKLF leaders strongly condemned the unabated human rights violation by the Indian forces and it was re-iterated that JKLF will continue to struggle till they achieve their cherished goal of national emancipation. Addressing the meeting Amanullah Khan, Chief Patron of the organization, saluting the unparalleled sacrifices and struggle by the new young generation said that JKLF is conscious about the fact that the present popular drive in the occupied Kashmir in support of the ongoing freedom struggle has provided us yet another golden opportunity to alarm the world-conscience to play her most wanted role in solving the Kashmir issue as per the wishes and national aspirations of the people of entire state of Jammu & Kashmir State.
Among other who attended the meeting included Sardar Mohammad Shoaib Khan, Sec. General JKLF; Kh. Saif-ud-Din, Head of the Policy & Planning Committee; Hafiz Anwar Samavi, Ex. Snr. Vice Chairman; Zahid Shaikh, Dy. Sec. General, Sajid Siddiqui, Chief Organiser, Dr. Toqeer Geelani, Publicity Chief; Raja Mazhar Iqbal, Head of Political Committee; Raja Ghulam Mujtaba Khan, Chairman, students wing of JKLF and Members of the Central Committee Advocate Abid Ayub, Chowdhary Mushtaq, Shams Kashmiri while Commander Suhail Kataria attended in the capacity of an observer.
“We are concerned over recent activities of outlawed Jammat ud Dawa(JuD) and Jaish e Muhammad(JeM) with new name-TAK”, said Dr. Taqeer Gillani, spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which believes on peaceful resistance against India and Pakistan .
“The government should ban the activities of this new group as it is a conspiracy against the ongoing movement of Kashmir.”
LONDON – Expatriate Kashmiris and supporters of Kashmiri cause hailing from various parts of the United Kingdom staged a demonstration in front of 10 Downing Street on Sunday 26th September 2010 to protest against Human Rights violations in Kashmir and British Governments silence over the recent killings of over 100 innocent Kashmiri people by Indian forces. The objective of the protest was to draw world attention towards the recent killings of Kashmiri youth, forced disappearances and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiris in Indian occupied territory.
Organized by British chapter of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), hundreds of protesters called on the British Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg to check the excesses that the Indian occupation forces have unleashed on the people of Kashmir over the past few months. The protesters also reminded the British Government that Britain being one of the largest arms suppliers to India, these same arms are being used against innocent civilians in Kashmir; therefore British Government should review its arms pact with India.
Speaking on this occasion, Zonal President of JKLF in UK, Mr. Mahmood Hussain said that international community including Britain and other major nations have a moral obligation to play a pivotal role for a peaceful and lasting solution based on the democratic will of the people of Jammu Kashmir. He said that Kashmiri community in Britain want an honourable solution of the Kashmir issue based on the true aspiration of its people.
Addressing the demonstrators, Head of JKLF’s Diplomatic wing Prof. Zafar Khan said that since two decades Indian forces have killed over a hundred thousand people, overwhelming majority of who have been civilians, and many thousands of young men have simply disappeared without trace over these years while many thousands languish in Indian Jails. He urged British Prime Minister to take concrete steps in order to involve Indian Government for a meaningful dialogue with Kashmris over the future status of Kashmir. He reminded the Prime Minister that there are about 1.5 million Kashmiris living in Britain and they expect his Government to intervene in order to save precious lives in Kashmir.
A memorandum to British Prime Minister David Cameron was also handed over to officials at 10 Downing Street, London. The memorandum asked the UK Governments to play a pivotal role over future status of Jammu Kashmir. The memorandum stated that “In view of the ongoing state oppression in Indian held part of Jammu Kashmir, we wish to remind Her Majesty’s Government of its international obligations as a major world power over the current situation and the future political and constitutional status of Jammu Kashmir”.
Memorandum further stated that “We strongly urge your government to take serious steps in bringing the concerned parties namely, India, Pakistan and representatives of the Kashmiri people for a negotiated and peaceful solution to this 63 year old conflict. The UK government as permanent member of the UN Security Council, a leading member of the European Union and as Head of the Commonwealth, has a privileged position in world affairs to play a role for a peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue”
Others who also spoke were Haji Rauf Khan, Syed Tahseen Gilani, Ershad Malik, Ali Asghar, Prof. Shahid Iqbal, Khawaja Kabeer Ahmed and representatives of other political organisations in UK.
Khawaja Kabeer Ahmed
Secretary Information,
JKLF (UK) Zone
MEMORANDUM:
Rt. Honourable Mr. David Cameron
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
10 Downing Street, London SW
26 September 2010
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Re: Seeking UK Governments role over future status of Jammu Kashmir
In view of the ongoing state oppression in Indian held part of Jammu Kashmir, we wish to remind Her Majesty’s Government of its international obligations as a major world power over the current situation and the future political and constitutional status of Jammu Kashmir.
For far too long, India has been responsible for unprecedented militarised violence against a defenceless populace in Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir by giving free hand to military and paramilitary forces which India has deployed in huge numbers in the territory.
The numbers of the forces including a myriad of paramilitary brigades and units are estimated to be around 700,000. This level of deployment of Indian military and paramilitary forces makes Indian occupied part of Jammu Kashmir the most militarised region anywhere in the world.
Since the late 1980s these forces have killed over a hundred thousand people, overwhelming majority of who have been civilians, and many thousands of young men have simply disappeared without trace over these years while many thousands languish in Indian Jails.
Over the past few weeks alone, scores of civilians have succumbed to the violent actions of the paramilitary forces not only in the Valley of Kashmir but also in others parts of Indian held Jammu Kashmir.
Since 2009 in particular, Indian forces have with complete impunity unleashed violence against peaceful mass demonstrators resulting in fatalities and serious injuries. The popular peaceful agitation by the Kashmiri masses is against the status quo and the forced division of their country between India and Pakistan since 1947.
Mr. Prime Minister India erroneously claims that the situation in Kashmir is an internal matter for the Indian state and that Jammu Kashmir is an ‘integral’ part of Indian Union. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jammu Kashmir is an international issue concerning the rights and aspirations of around 15 million people of Jammu Kashmir which, since 1947 has been divided, forcibly between India and Pakistan. Two thirds of the erstwhile state is under Indian occupation while the remainder is under direct and indirect administration of Pakistan.
We would like to point out that Kashmir issue is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, nor should it be considered as such. To do so would be to deny the inherent and inalienable right to self determination of 15 million people and such apposition would constitute a denial of over a dozen United Nation’ s Resolutions on the future disposition and status of Jammu Kashmir since 1948.
These U N Resolutions not only bind India and Pakistan, to a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the dispute based on the unfettered political and constitutional rights of the Kashmiri people, but also the international community including Britain, to ensure that such a settlement of the conflict was arrived at.
We strongly believe that the UK Government can play an important role in influencing the processes towards a just, lasting and democratic solution of the Kashmir dispute.
Mr. Prime Minister your remarks during your recent visit to India did very little unfortunately, to encourage India in particular and Pakistan to engage in a serious dialogue with the Kashmiris for a peaceful solution over the conflict. If anything your remarks caused concerns and dismay among the Kashmiri Diaspora communities in the UK as your position has been seen supporting Indian policy and violent methods of its occupation forces in Kashmir.
We are of the firm belief that good relations between India and Pakistan are a pre requisite for peace and prosperity in South Asia. The key to unleash peace in the subcontinent however, lies in a just and lasting resolution of the issue based on a democratic and people centric solution of the conflict.
We also wish to reiterate our strong belief that we wish Kashmir to be a bridge of peace and friendship between India and Pakistan rather that a bone of perpetual contention and conflict between the South Asian nuclear powers.
We strongly urge your government to take serious steps in bringing the concerned parties namely, India, Pakistan and representatives of the Kashmiri people for a negotiated and peaceful solution to this 63 year old conflict. The UK government as permanent member of the UN Security Council, a leading member of the European Union and as Head of the Commonwealth, has a privileged position in world affairs to play a role for a peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue.
Britain as a friend of India and Pakistan with its shared history with both nations can prove to be a vital interlocutor and facilitator for instituting dialogue and processes that would lead to a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir conflict.
On behalf of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Mahmud Husain (President of JKLF’s British Chapter.)
Members and Supporters of JKLF in Finland gathered in front of Indian Embassy Helsinki Finland and protested against human rights violations in Kashmir. Protest organized by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Finland Branch and led by its president in Finland Tanveer Chaudry.
Protesters shouted slogans against Human Rights abuses by Indian troops in Kashmir. The demonstrators were holding play cards and banners highlighting the deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir.
Protesters shouted ` India stop killing in Kashmir, Indian forces leave Kashmir, India stop killing in our Children, We want freedom and Kashmiri’s want freedom’. The objective of the protest was to draw world attention towards the recent killings of Kashmiri youth, forced disappearances and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiri’s in Indian occupied territory.
Tanveer Choudhry
JKLF (Finland)
MEMORANDUM
DATED: 24 September 2010.
Honourable Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
C/o The Indian Embassy HelsinkiFinland
Respected Dr Manmohan Singh Aadab,
Re: Human Rights Violations and Killings of unarmed youth in Kashmir
This brief protest note is addressed to your Excellency on behalf of Kashmiri people living in Finland to reaffirm our strong resolve to support the struggle of Kashmir’s for right of self determination. We express complete solidarity with our compatriots under Indian occupation, and strongly reject India’s erroneous stance on Kashmir and occupation of an unwilling populace.
Our protest today at the Indian Embassy Helsinki Finland on the occasion when every day Indian Army is killing unarmed Kashmiri youth, is an attempt to remind the world community and your government to honour the sentiments of Kashmiri people and also honour the commitments that India had made to the people of Kashmir on the future status of the forcibly divided territory.
Your government rules Kashmir with an iron grip supported by an occupation force of well in excess of 800,000army and paramilitary troops. Over the past twenty years these occupation forces have killed more than one hundred thousand innocent men, women and children, while thousands of Kashmiri young men have disappeared without trace after having been abducted by military and civil authorities during this period. Over the past month ,around 2 dozen Kashmir youth have been killed by Indian army who were peacefully protesting. It certainly ill behoves a mature democracy like India- particularly if it wishes to seek a solution in Kashmir- that it is intolerant towards political forces which, disagree with its stance over Kashmir.
While JKLF’s ideology is unambiguous on reunified, independent and secular future Kashmir, we’ve always advocated Indo-Pak rapprochement. Its being part of a solution rather than conflict which is what we have espoused over the years. However unlawful killings of our youth, arbitrary arrests and disappearances of Kashmir’s hardly inspire confidence in India’s sincerity for peaceful way forward.
