GB gears up for July 19 Kashmir solidarity events as APHC, governor reaffirm support

• APHC-AJK delegation, GB governor review preparations for Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan rally in Gilgit

• Leaders reiterate Kashmiris' right to self-determination under relevant UN resolutions

• Governor says GB will continue political, moral and diplomatic backing for Kashmir cause

 GILGIT: A high-level delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter, led by its Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, called on Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah at the Governor House in Gilgit on Thursday, where the two sides reviewed preparations for the July 19 Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan (Accession to Pakistan Day) observances and discussed the prevailing situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The meeting focused on finalising arrangements for the public rally and gathering to be held in Gilgit on July 19, with particular emphasis on ensuring maximum public participation and effectively highlighting the Kashmir dispute.

Speaking on the occasion, Ghulam Muhammad Safi said the July 19, 1947 Accession to Pakistan Resolution symbolises the historic resolve of the Kashmiri people and reflects their enduring bond with Pakistan. He said the people of all regions of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir are entitled to exercise their United Nations-recognised right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

Governor Syed Mehdi Shah said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan take pride in their historic, religious and national affiliation with the people of Kashmir and would continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support for a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He added that the people of Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan stand firmly with the Kashmiris in what he described as their just struggle for freedom.

The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, with both sides reiterating their commitment to keeping the Kashmir issue in focus and observing Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan with full zeal and fervour.

The APHC delegation comprised General Secretary Advocate Parvez Ahmad Shah, Raja Khadim Hussain Shaheen, Syed Ejaz Rehmani, Sheikh Abdul Majid, Zahid Safi, Zahid Ashraf and Kausar Iqbal.

DFP marks nine years of Shabbir Shah's continued detention

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Thursday marked nine years since the current incarceration of its Chairman and veteran Kashmiri resistance leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah, describing his prolonged imprisonment as one of the longest in the history of movements for freedom and self-determination.

In a statement, DFP Acting Chairman Mahmood Ahmad Saghar said Shah has spent nearly 39 years and six months of his life in prisons and detention centres.

"Such an extraordinary period of imprisonment is rarely matched in any movement for freedom, justice and the right to self-determination," he said.

Saghar stated that Shah has devoted his entire political life to the peaceful struggle for the people of Jammu and Kashmir's internationally recognised right to self-determination.

Despite prolonged imprisonment, solitary confinement, deteriorating health and sustained political pressure, he said, Shah has never compromised on his principles.

He further noted that Shah's steadfast commitment had received international recognition, recalling that Amnesty International declared him a "Prisoner of Conscience" in 1994.