[Dawn] Political and religious parties held rallies and other events to mark Kashmir Day, with a significant show of strength displayed by the Jamaat-ud-Dawa,...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba...
here on Tuesday.
"Here" refers to Karachi.
The JuD rally was also addressed by leaders from Indian-held Kashmir over the phone, who vowed to continue their struggle and lauded the moral support being extended by the people of Pakistan to the Kashmir cause.
They tried to call leaders from Pak-occupied Kashmir but the line was busy.
Hundreds of JuD workers took out a procession from the Safari Park and marched to the Karachi Press Club in the second half of the day. At the KPC, those who addressed the rally included party leaders and such veterans from Indian-held Kashmir as Syed Ali Geelani of the Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, Shabbir Shah of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party and Asiya Andrabi of Dukhtaran-i-Millat.
"It's not time to open trade with India but to get Kashmir freed from it," a JuD statement quoted Mr Geelani as having told the rally. "The spirit in the Pakistanis for the Kashmir cause is phenomenal and the people here expect that Pakistan will continue its moral, diplomatic and political efforts for Kashmir freedom."
The rally was also addressed by JuD Karachi chief Eng Naveed Qamar and leaders from other political parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the People's Youth Organisation. Another rally was organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami, which was taken out from the Jail Chowrangi to the Mazar-i-Quaid.A large number of JI workers, including women and children, attended the rally addressed by JI Sindh chief Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, acting JI Karachi chief Barjees Ahmed and JI Karachi general secretary Naseem Siddiqui.
"We do not accept the United Nations which cannot stop the barbarism in Kashmir, Syria, Burma and other parts of the Muslim world," said Dr Siddiqui while speaking at the rally. "Over 100,000 Kashmiri youngsters have been killed and thousands of
women raped by Indian troops over a decade, but the brutality has failed to inspire the UN to move."
The two rallies also caused gridlock on M.A. Jinnah Road that stretched to Saddar and other adjoining areas. Officials said traffic flow normalised after traffic police presence was increased.
Showing solidarity with the Kashmiri people, Millat-i-Islamia Council Pakistan also organised a symposium to discuss challenges faced by the people struggling for freedom and a possible solution to the conflict between the two countries.
Chairman of the Anjuman Faizan-i-Raza Shah Turab-ul-Haq Qadri and Allama Shariq Adnan Rizvi also spoke.