President of Azad Kashmir Masood Khan addressed a gathering of Pakistani & Kashmiri community
President Azad Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan took Kashmiri Americans on board and informed them about the latest surge in Occupied Kashmir after martyrdom of Kashmiri youth leader Burhan Wani on 8th July, 2016 who was hugely popular among Kashmiris in IOK. He emphasized that the martyrdom of Burhan Wani had infused new vigour in the indigenous freedom struggle of innocent Kashmiris who have been fighting for their right of self-determination for almost seven decades.
President Sardar Masood Khan said that Indian Occupied Kashmir was burning. Hundreds of Kashmiri men, women and children had been killed over the past two months; more than 150 civilians had been blinded by the use of lethal pellet guns; and more than 10,000 men, women and children were seriously injured because of the indiscriminate firing by occupying Indian forces. Commenting on the Indian claims that pellet guns were non-lethal he remarked that the Doctors Association in Kashmir had clearly said that the embedded pellets in the bodies of the victims were causing fatal lead poisoning and put pregnant women at serious risk. Further, the toxic lead deposits in children’ bodies would stunt their growth.
President Azad Kashmir added that the Kashmiris in IOK were under siege in their own land. The use of sexual molestation and rape, as an instrument of terror, had been common. Peaceful demonstrations were a crime, political meetings were banned and true representatives of Kashmiri people had been incarcerated. He drew attention towards the prolonged curfews and mobile telephone and Internet blackouts in IOK and mentioned that Indian occupation forces in the occupied territory had been hunting down innocent citizens involving draconian black laws.
Sardar Masood Khan briefed the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora on the steps taken by his Government towards good governance in Azad Kashmir. He commended the bold and unambiguous stance taken by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the Kashmir issue during his address to the UN General Assembly. President Azad Kashmir presented 07 point strategy invoking active participation of Pakistani and Kashmiri youth for liberation of occupied Kashmir from Indian oppression. He requested and urged Kashmiri diaspora to use and pool all resources at their disposal to promote the Kashmir cause.
The President concluded with remarks that situation in disputed Kashmir requires immediate attention of international community and emphasized a sense of urgency to take action since it’s not business as usual.
September 24, 2016
Washington D.C
