Islamabad: In his glowing tributes to the 13 July martyrs of Kashmir, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Freedom League and former Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), AJK, said that the 22 martyrs of Kashmir, who laid down their lives near the Central Jail, Srinagar, in July 1931, were demanding an end to the centuries-old oppression of the Hindu dynasty of Jammu because of its scornful attitude towards the basic human rights, civil liberties, and religious freedom of the Muslim inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir.

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that 13 July 1931 is a milestone in the turbulent history of the entire State. He condemned the BJP-led government of India for objecting to the observance of this historic day and for cancelling the 13 July public holiday, which had been observed every year by political parties across the board for the previous 78 years.

He said that after the annexation of the State by Indian troops in 1947, Kashmir became an international political issue of far-reaching significance, as the achievement of the right to self-determination, in accordance with the UN resolutions, has remained the motto of the people across all religious and racial divides.

He argued that, under the illegal occupation of more than 900,000 Indian troops and following the martyrdom of about 100,000 youth during the last 35 years, the future of the State has become increasingly vulnerable. Therefore, he said, durable peace can only be achieved by granting the people of the State their right to self-determination in line with the UN Charter and the relevant UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.