Islamabad: Speakers at a seminar urged the international community to move beyond symbolic statements and take proactive measures to pressurize India to end its grave human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir(IIOJK) and facilitate a lasting resolution of the Kashmir conflict in accordance with UN resolutions.
The seminar was held at Kashmir House, Islamabad, on the occasion of the 9th martyrdom anniversary of the iconic youth leader, Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, to pay rich tributes to the unparalleled sacrifices of the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the right to self-determination. The seminar titled 'Kashmir Continues to Inspire the Youth' was jointly organized by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter and the Kashmir Liberation Cell.
Prominent figures who addressed the gathering or were present on the occasion included Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Chairman Kashmir Committee and Federal Minister, Sardar Haji Muhammad Yaqub Khan, Shah Ghulam Qadir, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Nazir Qureshi, Mazamil Ayub Thakur, Taqdees Gilani, Noorul Bari, Mashaal Malik and Khan Afsar Khan.
Rana Qasim Noon, while addressing the seminar said the martyrdom of Burhan Wani added unprecedented momentum and glory to the freedom struggle. He noted that after 9/11, genuine liberation movements like that of Kashmir were wrongly labeled as terrorism, while today, atrocities in Gaza and Kashmir mirror each other in brutality.
Rana Qasim Noon emphasized that with China, Pakistan, and India - three nuclear powers - surrounding Kashmir, peace in South Asia is directly tied to a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He remarked that after May 9, the Kashmir issue has re-emerged at the global level, refuting India's long-standing claim of it being a bilateral or internal matter.
Other speakers on the occasion said that Burhan Wani became a symbol of courage and resistance by fearlessly projecting the voice of oppressed Kashmiris and reviving the freedom sentiment among the youth. They noted that his martyrdom marked a new phase in the Kashmir freedom movement.
Emphasizing the need for youth engagement, the speakers urged young Kashmiris to step forward and take leadership roles by effectively using social media to highlight the Kashmir dispute, expose Indian brutalities, and advocate for the Kashmiri people's right to freedom and dignity.
They urged the international community to move beyond symbolic statements and take more proactive measures, including regular seminars, global conferences, and diplomatic engagement to pressure India to end its grave human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and facilitate a lasting resolution of the Kashmir conflict in accordance with UN resolutions.
The event concluded with a renewed pledge to carry forward the mission of the martyrs and continue the struggle until complete freedom from Indian occupation is achieved.