Rawalpindi - The motor convoy ‘Kashmir Caravan’ passed through the city yesterday with participants chanting slogans against Indian troops’ atrocities against innocent Kashmiris and urging the international community to come forward to end violence in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The convoy taken out by Jamaat-ud-Dawa was also participated by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Tehreek-e-Jawanan-e-Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir and Ansar-ul Umma (AuU) whose leaders asked the government to highlight excesses of Indian Army in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

According to details, the Kashmir Caravan entered Rawalpindi at 2:00pm. The Caravan made little stopovers in different places including Committee Chowk where prominent speakers included JuD Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, JI Ameer Pakistan Sirajul Haq, HuM Chief Syed Salahud Din, and AuU’s Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman Kahlil addressed the participants. Citizens of Rawalpindi welcomed the caravan at Committee Chowk and presented garlands to the leaders.

Addressing the rally, JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed said that his organisation fully supported the idea of jihad in India Held Kashmir. He noted that Syed Salahud Din was a symbol of jihad in Kashmir. He added that people of Pakistan did not consider themselves separate from Kashmiri people.

The JuD leader said that killing of Burhan Wani had united the Kashmiri people for jihad and the international community for raising voice against Indian excesses in Kashmir. He added that Islamabad was not final destination of the caravan as it would move towards Indian Held Kashmir, if deemed necessary.

Highlighting Kashmir’s geographical, ideological and economical importance, Siraj ul Haq said that the valley is a lifeline of Pakistan. He said that jihad in Indian Held Kashmir is a sacred jihad while generals of Indian Army had already accepted their failure in Kashmir.

The JI chief said that the Pakistan government needs to sever all relations with India as long as India does not give freedom to Kashmiri people. He added that the Pakistan government needs to assert pressure on India for solution of Kashmir dispute in line with a formula presented by Hurriayat Leader Syed Ali Gillani.

Appreciating the efforts of Hafiz Saeed for highlighting plight of Kashmiri people, Syed Salah ud Din said that they through Kashmir Caravan would force international community to take up the Kashmir issue at all forums.

Highlighting the atrocities carried out by the Indian army in Kashmir, Syed Salahud Din said that Kashmiri people are hoisting Pakistani flags despite all cruelties.

He said that they are burying the dead people wrapped in Pakistan flags.

Tumultuous welcome was also accorded to the leaders and participants of the rally from Jhelum to Rawalpindi.

According to different reports, approximately there were 205 buses, 60 cars, 135 mini buses, 77 vans, 6 land cruisers, 15 mini trucks, 2 big truck, 26 ambulances and scores of motorcycles in the rally. About 30,000 people participated n it.

The vehicular caravan was so long that its first vehicle was at Kachari Chowk and the last one was in Rawat. The caravan entered Rawalpindi from T-Chowk and reached Kachari Chowk. Passing through Mareer Chowk and Benazir Bhutto Road, it reached Committee Chowk. The caravan further moved towards Faizabad and entered Islamabad at about 6:30pm.

Meanwhile, a number of female students of Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) were misbehaved by the participants of Kashmir Caravan that passed through the city.

Unfortunately, no personnel of law enforcement agencies was deputed outside the both gates of FJWU to tackle any untoward incident except some private security guards of the varsity who were on duty and seemed helpless in barring the participants of the rally from misbehaving with female students, The Nation observed yesterday.

According to details, some participants of JuD Kashmir Caravan harassed the female students of FJWU, including the applicants for new admissions in MPhil and PhD who were coming out from university. They waved hands towards the female students and passed indecent remarks.

A security guard, while talking to The Nation, said that the rally was being taken out for a sacred purpose and the participants should behave like gentlemen but they passed indecent comments and waved hands towards the female students. He said that the JuD top leadership should take action against the trouble creators.

Two other citizens, who were standing along the road, also expressed their deep concern and annoyance over rough attitude of young participants of JuD rally. They said that the top leadership should depute a senior leader on every vehicle to control the participants. “All this have earned bad name for JuD,” they said.

JuD along with many other politico-religious parties organised Kashmir Caravan rally comprising tens of thousands of participants to denounce Indian troops’ ongoing terrorism in Indian Held Kashmir and to express solidarity with innocent Kashmiri people. The rally started from Lahore and culminated at Islamabad by crossing all the major cities.