APHC Calls for Shutdown to Honour Martyrs of IIOJK on Feb 11

On February 11th, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) urges the people of IIOJK to observe a complete shutdown to honor the sacrifices of martyrs like Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru.

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called upon the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to mark February 11th by observing a total shutdown. This day will commemorate the martyrdom of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and other martyrs of the region who gave their lives for freedom.

Muhammad Maqbool Butt, a prominent leader in the Kashmir liberation movement, was hanged by Indian authorities in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, on February 11, 1984. Nearly three decades later, Muhammad Afzal Guru, another key figure in the Kashmir struggle, met the same fate in the same prison on February 9, 2013. Despite their executions, both leaders’ bodies remain buried within the jail’s premises, a constant reminder of their sacrifices.

In a meeting held in Srinagar, APHC leaders expressed their concerns over the ongoing political situation in IIOJK. They condemned the recent killings of two Kashmiri men, Waseem Ahmad Mir from Sopore and Makhan Din from Kathua, by Indian forces. The meeting also discussed the oppressive climate created by the Indian security forces and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which has further intensified the suppression of Kashmiri people.

Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, the APHC spokesman, issued a statement in Srinagar. He emphasized the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by the great martyrs of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, especially Mohammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru, on their martyrdom anniversaries. He urged the peace-loving and freedom-driven people of the region to observe a complete shutdown on February 11th as a mark of respect and solidarity.