NEW YORK,
October 29 (Online): A large number of Kashmiris
gathered in front of Indian Consulate in New York,
despite very cold weather, to observe "The Black Day"
against Indian invasion of Kashmir, 57 years ago.
October 27 is
observed as "The Black Day" all over the world by
Kashmiris against Indian occupation of Kashmir on
October 27, 1947.
The
protesters were carrying placards such as "Save
Humanity, Free Kashmir, End Indian Occupation",
"India, World's Largest Hypocrisy", "Kashmir, Heaven
made Hell by Indian Army", "Give Peace a Chance, Free
Kashmir" and "57 Years, Not Enough to Implement UN
Resolutions?". The Protesters were chanting slogans
like "Indian Forces from Kashmir, Out Out", "Killer
Forces from Kashmir, Out Out" and "What we want, Free
Kashmir", "Our Demand, Free Kashmir".
The protest
attracted a large audience as the evening rush hour
started at 4 pm. The Protest rally was jointly
organised by American Muslim Voice (www.AMuslimVoice.org)
and Kashmiri American Council and was led by Raja
Muzaffar (JKLF) and Malik Nadeem Abid (KAC).
Addressing
the rally, Malik Nadeem Abid demanded India to
withdraw Para-military Forces from Kashmir, stop human
right violations, allow Kashmiri leadership to travel
and give the right of self-determination to people of
Kashmir, as promised by Jawahar Lal Nehru.
Malik Nadeem
Abid also stressed the need of peaceful settlement of
the issue to give relief to the common citizens and to
bring prosperity in the region. The rally was also
addressed by veteran Hurriyat leader and Chairman, All
Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani via phone
from Srinagar .
OIC Ignores Pro-Pakistani
Representative of Kashmir
MW Report
NEW YORK:
The Secretary General of the Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC) has invited the
Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat
Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of
the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front,
Muhammad Yasin Malik, and President of Jammu
and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party,
Shabbir Ahmad Shah to its meetings in New
York on 19 and 23 of next month.
The invited leaders are to participate in
OIC's annual Foreign Ministers' Coordination
and OIC's Kashmir Contact Groups meetings,
as true representatives of Kashmiri people.
The President of Azad Kashmir, Sardar
Muhammad Anwar Khan, Syed Yousaf Naseem of
the APHC chapter of Azad Kashmir and
Executive Director of Kashmir Centre
Washington, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai have also
been invited to the OIC New York meetings.
It is surprising to note that Syed Ali
Shah Gillani, the main component of APHC, a
pro Pakistani separatist leader's name was
dropped on Pakistan's request. He was
recognized as the representative of People
of Indian occupied Kashmir ever since OIC
has given the Kashmiris representation
status. Syed Ali Gillani has been critical
of some of the policies of General Musharraf
that he considers to be extremely damaging
to Kashmir cause. He is also one of the four
top leaders of Indian occupied Kashmir.
Three of them have been invited by the OIC.
Syed Ali Gillani was the only leader from
occupied Kashmir who was representing
Kashmiris in OIC from its inception. It is
one of the examples of the continuous effort
of Musharraf regime to sideline
pro-Pakistani Kashmiri leaders.
Shabbir Ahmed Shah, while talking to Malik
Nadeem Abid of Kashmir Mission, New York,
expressed his displeasure and showed his
concern at ignoring Syed Ali Gillani and
demanded inclusion of his name. He said
Gillani has applied for the travel document
to attend the OIC meeting but Indian
Government never replied. Shabbir Ahmed Shah
was not very hopeful about the ongoing peace
negotiations and said the masses of
Kashmiris are still experiencing murders,
mass rape, tortures, and humiliation by the
Indian occupied army.
Shabbir Shah spent 21 years of life in
prison as a Kashmiri freedom fighter and is
known as Nelson Mandella of Kashmir.
It is also important to note the
non-seriousness of one of the
representatives, the President of Azad
Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Anwar Khan, who was
representing the people of Azad Kashmir in
last year September 28, was not prepared for
the speech. He didn't even have a copy of
his speech for the distribution that is one
of the normal protocols at such conferences.
The foreign minister of Sudan was the only
person who mentioned Kashmir as an issue in
his speech that shows the total diplomatic
failure of Pakistan on Kashmir issue.
President of Pakistan, General Musharraf,
President of Azad Kashmir Anwar Khan, and
Foreign minister of Pakistan, Khursheed
Mehmud Kasuri were in town for at least ten
days before the last year's OIC conference
but failed to get any diplomatic support
from any Muslim country.
