Rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), Feb. 9: The 13th martyrdom anniversary of the distinguished Kashmir freedom struggle leader Shaheed Afzal Guru was solemnly observed across Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and in several parts of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) on Monday.
Shaheed Afzal Guru was executed on this day in 2013 at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail under controversial circumstances, accused in the attack on the Indian Parliament. Supporters assert that his real “offense” was advocating for the legitimate right of Kashmiris to self-determination and the liberation of their homeland from Indian occupation, according to Special Jammu Kashmir Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao.
Tribute ceremonies were held at district and tehsil headquarters across AJK, including the state capital and Mirpur, where rallies and gatherings marked the occasion. At central Shaheed Chowk in Mirpur, speakers including ADC (General) Naeem Akhtar, Assistant Commissioner Hassaam Sajid, Tehsildar Imran Chaudhry, and Mirpur District Bar Association President Advocate Mahmood Palakvi, along with civil society leaders, lauded Guru’s supreme sacrifice for Kashmir’s freedom.
Speakers condemned his execution as a judicial killing and a gross human rights violation by the Indian government and its forces in IIOJK. They also paid homage to veteran freedom leader Muhammad Maqbool Butt, whose martyrdom anniversary falls on February 11, emphasizing that the sacrifices of these martyrs remain integral to the ongoing Kashmir liberation struggle.
Veteran Kashmiri leader Advocate Azeem Dutt highlighted that, despite continued oppression and brutality in IIOJK, India has failed to suppress the freedom-loving spirit of Kashmiris. On the contrary, he said, the resolve of the Kashmiri people has only strengthened, and they remain committed to advancing the mission of their martyrs and achieving the liberation of their homeland from prolonged illegal occupation.