Protests Staged Against Modi’s Visit to IIOJK

Protests erupted across Azad Kashmir as Pasban-e-Hurriyat condemns Modi’s visit to IIOJK, accusing India of turning Kashmir into a military prison and stripping away its identity.

Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir organized a large protest procession in Muzaffarabad yesterday, in response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial visit to the IIOJK. A significant number of people gathered at the old secretariat, raising anti-India and pro-freedom slogans, with black flags waving in the air and tires set alight on the streets. Protesters carried banners reading, “Modi is the most disliked person in Kashmir,” reflecting widespread resentment against the Indian leadership in the region.

During the protest, Pasban-e-Hurriyat Chairman Uzair Ahmed Ghazali addressed the crowd, criticizing Modi’s actions in Kashmir. He accused Modi of transforming the occupied territory into a military base, a move that Kashmiri people vehemently reject. Ghazali further lamented the destruction of thousands of acres of farmland to build railway lines, roads, and tunnels meant for military purposes, emphasizing the adverse impact of these developments on the local population.

“Modi has turned Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir into a prison, with more than 1 million soldiers surveilling every aspect of life,” Ghazali stated. “The civil liberties of Kashmiris have been severely compromised, and their land is being stolen for military expansion.”

Vice Chairman Usman Ali Hashim also spoke out, condemning Modi’s actions as an effort to deceive the world into believing that normalcy has returned to Kashmir. Hashim accused Modi of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of Kashmiri youth, adding that the August 5, 2019, revocation of Kashmir’s special status by the Modi government effectively erased the region’s identity. “It was the Modi government that took away the statehood of Kashmir,” Hashim declared, underscoring the deep resentment felt by the Kashmiri people.

Protests in solidarity with the Pasban-e-Hurriyat rally were also held across various districts of Azad Kashmir, including Mirpur, Dhadial, Kotli, Bagh, and Neelam. These protests were organized as part of a widespread call to denounce India’s actions in the region and to demand justice for the Kashmiri people.

The protest procession was led by prominent figures including Raja Muhammad Arif Khan, Ghulam Hussain But, Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Sardar Abdul Razzaq Khan, Dr. Muhammad Mozoor, Muhammad Aslam Inqilabi, Yasir Naqvi Advocate, and Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail, all of whom reiterated the demand for the restoration of Kashmir’s special status and the right to self-determination for its people.

The protest was a part of an ongoing effort to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people under Indian occupation and to raise international awareness about the region’s unresolved political status. The leaders emphasized that Kashmiris will continue to resist Modi’s oppressive measures and will not accept the erosion of their identity and rights.