MIRPUR (AJK) - People across Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Saturday observed the 39th martyrdom anniversary of the eminent leader of Kashmir Freedom Movement Maqbool Butt with the renewal of the pledge to continue his mission till the achievement of Kashmiris legitimate right to self-determination under the spirit of the UN resolutions and freedom of occupied Jammu Kashmir from Indian forced and unlawful occupation.
Processions were taken out and rallies held in all small and major towns of AJK to pay glorious tribute to Shaheed Maqbool Butt, who was put to gallows by India this day in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 1984 for his ‘offence’ of demanding early liberation of motherland from Indian yoke and the birth right to self-determination for the people of Jammu Kashmir state under the spirit of the international norms and commitments to this direction. Several social, political and public representative organisations hosted special functions to observe the anniversary of one of the founding leaders of the Kashmir freedom struggle.
Joint demonstrations were staged with rallies taken out by various social, political and student organisations including Kashmir Baghao Tehreek, Mirpur District Unit, Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation, J & K Students Liberation Front and other groups, in various AJK cities including ake city of Mirpur to pay glorious tributes to the eminent hero of the Kashmir freedom struggle.
The processions marched through major city streets chanting anti-India and profreedom slogans besides the slogans in commemoration of the supreme sacrifices of lives by Maqbool Butt, Dr Afzal Guru and other Kashmiri martyrs and other heroes of the Kashmir freedom struggle. In Mirpur, the main procession converged into a mammoth rally. Earlier, addressing separate rallies speakers including Kashmir Bachao Tehreek AJK Supreme Muhammad Bashir Shagoo, former president Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front Dutt Advocate, JKLF leaders – Saad Insari Advocate and Khawaja Pervez Iqbal and others paid rich tributes to Maqbool Butt for giving supreme sacrifice of his life for the cause of liberation of Jammu & Kashmir from the Indian yoke. The Kashmiri leaders called upon the international community to exert pressure on India to immediately hand over the mortal remains of Maqbool Butt Shaheed to his family for its burial with religious respect and honour.