Sheffield, March 30, 2018 (PPI-OT): Ahead of Commonwealth Summit taking place in London on 16th of April, a large number of people of Sheffield held a rally to remind the heads of state of their long-standing commitment to universal values of democracy, respect to human rights and rule of law for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The rally was organised by South Asia Centre for Peace and Human Rights (SACFPHR) and the Kashmir Working Group, Sheffield. The organisers were Sahira Irshad, Nighat Basharat, Councillor Muhammad Maroof, Councillor Zahira Naaz, Raja Qurban Hussain and others.
Councillor Jackie Drayton, former Lord Mayor, addressed on behalf of the leaders of the Council. She expressed complete support for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. She was very critical about the deteriorating human rights situation in occupied Kashmir. “Our collective voice for improving existing scenario is very important,” she added.
Olivia Blake, Deputy Leader of the Council declared her support for the democratic and basic right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She said a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute should be universally supported. Yassin Kantun Elmi on behalf of Sheffield Labour Friends of Palestine announced her solidarity with the people of Kashmir.
Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, the Chairman of International Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) and Permanent Representative of International Human Rights Association of American Minorities (IHRAAM) at the UN, said that India had an obligation to fulfill all the commitments especially those made at the UN with the Kashmiri people. He said, it was India that took the case of Kashmir to the UN. He also pleaded that the stalled dialogue process between India and Pakistan should be resumed.
The SACFPHR Chairman, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, described the Kashmir freedom struggle as a quest for right to self-determination. Kashmir, he said, is not a religious issue but a political issue and should be resolved politically. He thanked the participants for attending the rally. Councillor Muhammad Maroof conducted the proceedings of the rally.
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