Islamabad: The convention of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) UK Zone, named as "Amanullah Khan Juhd-e-Musalsal Convention", was held in Nottingham. Hundreds of JKLF workers, including senior and founding leaders from across the UK, elected a new zonal organizational structure under the presidency of Liaquat Lone. A large number of women members also attended the convention. The party's central and zonal leaders in the UK, as well as the four member Zonal Election Commission, deserve congratulations for holding a successful convention.
According to a detailed statement issued from Central Information Office by the JKLF Chief Spokesman, Muhammad Rafiq Dar, in addition to presenting a three-year organizational performance report, the senior party leaders while addressing the participants in the first session of the convention reiterated their resolve to continue the freedom struggle until the State of Jammu Kashmir achieves its national independence. On this occasion, the speakers pledged to keep the candle lit by Muhammad Maqbool Butt Shaheed and Late Amanullah Khan ablaze, and to do their part in completing the unfinished mission of the martyrs of Jammu Kashmir. The JKLF leaders expressed their full confidence in the inspiring leadership of the incarcerated party Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who has been illegally imprisoned in the Indian Tihar Jail for the past six years and has been the worst victim of political vendetta at the hands of the current extremist Indian government. The speakers termed Yasin Malik, for the role he has been p laying, as the true spokesperson of the national liberation movement.
According to the spokesperson, the voting process in the second session of the convention was held in a free and transparent manner in accordance with democratic norms under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner Malik Mushtaq, Secretary Election Commission Malik Ejaz and members of the Election Commission Tariq Sharif and Haji Iqbal. Many prominent Kashmiri leaders including president JKLF AJK-GB Zone Sajid Siddiqui, president JKLF Europe Zone Zaheer Zahid, Awami Action Committee leader Malik Yaqoob, the central leader of the Liberation League Najeeb Afsar, the senior JKLF leader Nazim Bhatti, the JKPP leader Ejaz Sharif, the PPP AJK leader Shahid Sharif, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami AJK Shahid Ashraf, the leader of Kashmir Freedom Movement Muhammad Yasir and local Nottingham political and social figures Mehtab Aslam Khan, Mazhar Khan, Tahir Saeed and Omar Hussain, as well as well-known businessman Imran Hameed were present as independent observers.
According to the statement, while announcing the results of the election process, Chief Election Commissioner Malik Mushtaq administered the oath of allegiance of the newly elected office bearers of the JKLFt UK Zone namely; President Liaqat Lone, Senior Vice President Muhammad Yousaf Chaudhry, Vice President Rasib Kashmiri, Vice President Muhammad Asad Kayani, Vice President Zafar Mahmood, Vice President Muhammad Raees, General Secretary Tanveer Hussain Malik, Deputy General Secretary Jamil Ashraf, Assistant General Secretary Imad Malik, Organizer Ghafraz Khan, Deputy Organizer Muhammad Naseer, Information Secretary Raja Sikandar Khan, Finance Secretary Sanowar Hussain and Assistant Finance Secretary Nadeem Iqbal.
According to the spokesman, a thought-provoking seminar titling "The Role of British Kashmiri Diaspora in freedom struggle" was held at the concluding session of the convention under the auspices of the newly elected cabinet of the JKLF UK Zone wherein Head of JKLF Diplomatic Bureau Professor Raja Zafar Khan, Central Chief Organizer Sabir Gul, Member Supreme Council Tariq Sharif, President Liaquat Lone, veteran leaders like Malik Mushtaq, Malik Ejaz, Malik Latif, Najeeb Afsar, Malik Yaqoob, Khawaja Hassan (NAP), Faiz Mahmood, Amjad Nawaz, Chaudhry Yousuf, Gulfraz Khan and many other leaders of the party and non-party observers, as well as JKLF AJK-GB Zonal President Sajid Siddiqui and JKLF Europe Zonal President Zaheer Zahid along with women leaders Aisha Shabbir and Sana Malik,delivered their special speeches.
The speakers on this occasion stressed the international community on resolving the Kashmir issue peacefully through a tripartite negotiation process, for which they considered it necessary to recognize the sovereign status of the Kashmiri people for being the principal party to the issue. According to the statement, Kashmiri folk and patriotic songs also continued during the proceedings.
According to the spokesperson, the speakers at the seminar, while discussing the current complex and tense global situation, advised world powers to resolve the Kashmir issue on priority basis and expressed regret over the destruction of Palestine and the ongoing devastation caused by the Iran-Israel war. They reiterated their commitment to continue their full support for the ongoing public rights movement in Azad Kashmir on the platform of the Joint Awami Action Committee.
At the end of the convention, the participants prayed to Allah Almighty for the forgiveness and eternal peace of the martyrs of Jammu Kashmir, and all the deceased associated with the JKLF who recently passed away, and for the good health and immediate release of Yasin Malik and other pro-freedom political prisoners languishing in Indian jails.