Rawalakot (Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir): Unprecedented scenes were witnessed in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) throughout Wednesday as lakhs of Kashmiris converged upon Rawalakot tehsil as part of their protest against the illegal Pakistani rule in the territory.
Chanting slogans against Pakistan and its Army and shouting calls for revolution, men from all over POJK moved in mammoth convoys of cars and motorbikes to reach Rawalakot, the venue of the massacre of hundreds of Kashmiris by the Pakistani military three days back.
During halts, there were speeches by leaders of the agitation, which were full of attacks on Pakistan and its military for the atrocities that have been committed against Kashmiris over the last 78 years of illegal occupation.
It may be noted that in October 1947, Pakistan militarily and forcibly captured parts of Jammu and Kashmir, which was then a Princely State yet to accede to India.
The Kashmiri protesters described the Pakistani military as a “terrorist” force and particularly slammed Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Besides the long marches, protest demonstrations were held in all the tehsil headquarters, including in Gilgit-Baltistan, also a part of undivided Jammu and Kashmir which too was illegally occupied by Pakistan in October 1947.
The Kashmiris and people of Gilgit-Baltistan, in unison, demanded justice for civilians who were reportedly killed and injured during firing by Pakistani security forces amid recent protests.
The agitation is being led by Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a non-political conglomerate of various organisations.
Among other demands, the JAAC is demanding the due rights of people of POJK, while highlighting that these territories are not part of Pakistan.
Speakers urged the international community and human rights organisations to take note of the situation and press for justice for the affected families.
The protesters have been braving bullets and other forms of oppression inflicted by the Pakistani military, particularly since June 7.
JAAC had given a call for an indefinite agitation from June 9 but it started early, thanks to the brutal crackdown by the Pakistani military and affiliated agencies beginning June 7.
With an objective of crushing the agitation even before it started, Pakistan had sent tens of thousands of its military personnel to PoJK, addiing to the lakhs of those already present in the occupied territories.
However, the Kashmiris refused to be cowed down and demonstrated their strong will to fight, particularly after the Pakistani military killed over 200 locals and injured thousands others in cold blood over a span of just 2 days.
Even on Tuesday, Pakistani military personnel fired bullets and teargas shells directly at protesters, causing several casualties.
The cunning military personnel then whisk away the dead bodies to hide the real casualty figure.
Even on Tuesday, entire PoJK echoed with slogans and chants against Pakistan, particularly its notorious Army and intelligence agency ISI.
At thousands of demonstration points, speaker after speaker narrated how the Pakistani military has been committing barbarism against Kashmiris on some or the other pretext.
They highlighted that the Pakistani military, even during the current round of agitation, has been killing Kashmiris in cold-blood by firing directly at them even when their protest is peaceful.
Rawalakot has been the worst sufferer, with most of the Kashmiris being killed and injured by the outsider Pakistani military personnel in this Tehsil of PoJK.
According to eye witnesses, the Pakistani military personnel even killed a local Kashmiri Superintendent of Police and four others after they tried to dissuade them from firing at the protesters.
The speeches were punctuated by slogans like “Yeh Jo Dehshat Gardi Hai, Iske Peeche Wardi Hai (Those behind this kind of terrorism are in uniform)”, implying that the Pakistani military is responsible for committing terrorism.
The speakers also pledged, amid strong cheering, the resolve that Kashmiris would no longer be afraid to the occupier Pakistan and its military.
“We will prefer to die than suffer humiliation anymore,” said an elderly man to a large crowd which responded by pledging their resolve to his commitment.
The people of PoJK have been silently suffering every since 1948 but it seems they have risen finally against the tyrant and illegal regime of Pakistan. (NVI)
