Chanting anti-India slogans, JKLF marchers head to LoC – Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD: Thousands of people, mostly young people, took a night's rest in the city of Garhi Dupatta on Saturday night after marching for about 20 km on foot along the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road.

Previously, they resumed their "march for freedom", under the auspices of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), towards the Control Line (LoC) from the state capital around 11 am, singing slogans in favor of the Freedom and anti-India.

Protesters had begun their journey in vehicles and motorcycles from different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday morning and had spent the night in Muzaffarabad after arriving here at midnight or later.

At approximately 10 a.m. on Saturday, they met at Alto Adda, a long-standing political meeting center, from where they resumed their march towards the Chakothi sector.

"Kashmir banega khudmukhtar (Kashmir will become an independent state)," was the slogan frequently sung by protesters, who had portraits of guerrilla leader Maqbool Butt, former JKLF president Amanullah Khan and current president Yasin Malik.

"UN: Kashmir seeks your urgent attention," said a large banner held by protesters in the front row.

"The UN takes over the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate a referendum there," they read in some posters.

While protesters were walking along Bank Road, merchant leaders Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Abbas Qadri filled them with rose petals.

On Friday, two AJK ministers also held a meeting with JKLF leaders, reiterating their call that protesters should not approach the LoC, let alone try to cross it.

In response, JKLF leaders had assured the team that they would remain completely peaceful throughout the trip to the LoC.

Mohammad Rafiq Dar, central spokesman for the JKLF, said Dawn that the UN Group of Military Observers for India and Pakistan also contacted them the other day to determine their position.

"In addition to informing UN observers about the objectives of the peaceful march, we reiterate our organization's demand to the UN to send peacekeeping forces to take control of the entire state and create an atmosphere conducive to a UN-sponsored referendum, "he said.

The UN also recalled Resolution No. 47, paragraph 2, passed on April 21, 1948, which stated that the LoC crossed legal activity, he said.

Dar said the JKLF had also demanded that the UN convince India and Pakistan not to use force to quell this peaceful march.

On Saturday, protesters were also angry at Prime Minister Imran Khan's tweet, in which he had argued that any attempt to cross the LoC would amount to playing in the hands of the Indian narrative.

Read: PM Imran warns AJK residents not to cross LoC to help fight in Kashmir

“We reject the notions of both countries; from India that we are celebrating this march at the behest of Pakistan, and from Pakistan that we are playing in the hands of India, "said Mr. Dar.

“It is our own indigenous initiative and we do not need certificates nor are we agents of either country. We are the agents of our Kashmir Nation, ”he added.

Tahir Mahmood, a jeweler who had joined the march from Kotli, said Prime Minister Khan's tweet had not been claimed because the cashmere had taken this step "at the end of their relationship."

“First we look forward to his speech before the UN General Assembly. And now, more than a week after his speech, is there any change in the situation throughout the LoC, "he said.

"And since there are no changes, why do you want us to sit at home and watch our brothers kill and torture in silence?"

Sheharyar Ahmed, a sophomore in the town of Tetrinote in the Hajira sector, said Prime Minister Khan's statement had hurt the cashmere.

What has the prime minister done after his return from the UN? Do you want us to believe that simple speech can overthrow the Indian occupation of Kashmir, "he questioned.

Meanwhile, large contingents of police officers had taken positions in Chinari to face any eventuality.

In Jiskool, a place located just before Chinari and 8 km before the LoC, the administration placed containers on the main road to block all types of vehicles.

In addition to the containers, the electricity poles, the mounds of earth and the barbed wires also extended to the sides of the containers to avoid circumvention of people on foot.

Posted in Dawn, October 6, 2019