MUZAFFARABAD: Demonstrations, rallies, processions, and other events were held across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday, with participants condemning India’s brutal atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and highlighting the legitimacy of the anti-India struggle of Kashmiri people.
As these events, which took place in areas close to the Line of Control (LoC), where temperatures remain below freezing under a blanket of snow, the participants expressed full support and solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir.
In Muzaffarabad, where a large rally and public gathering was held under the aegis of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell, people waved the national flags of Pakistan and AJK and chanted slogans against Indian atrocities.
Prominent attendees included AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan’s deputy emir Liaquat Baloch, former national cricketer Shahid Afridi, and APHC leaders Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Pervez Shah, and Mahmood Ahmed Saghar.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Rathore said the day reflected the strong bonds between Kashmiris and Pakistan. Mr Baloch described the Kashmiri freedom struggle as ‘a just and principled movement’, and said his party would stand alongside the Kashmiris until they achieved freedom from India.
At Kohala, ministers and officials from GB and all provinces affirm unwavering support to people of Kashmir
Declaring that the people of Pakistan stood wholeheartedly with Kashmiris, Mr Afridi urged young people to play a positive and meaningful role in support of the freedom movement.
Events were also held at the points linking AJK with Pakistan, where people from both sides formed symbolic human chains to reaffirm their historic ties.
The major event was held at Kohala, attended by Punjab Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Sindh Minister Muhammad Ali Malkani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Arshad Ayub Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan Minister Abrar Ismail, and Balochistan’s Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Kumar as special guests.
Speaking on the occasion, they collectively affirmed that representing Pakistan’s various provinces and diverse communities was a profound honour, especially when expressing unwavering solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
A flag-hoisting ceremony was also held in Kohala, followed by a one-minute silence. In snow-covered Leepa Valley, large crowds marched waving the flags of Pakistan and AJK, while in Neelum Valley, students participated in speech competitions wearing traditional Kashmiri attire, with prizes awarded by local officials. Poonch divisional commissioner thanked the people for setting aside political affiliations to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.
South Asia peace linked to Kashmir resolution: Aseefa
In her message on the occasion, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s moral, diplomatic and political support and called upon the international community and the UN to honour their commitments and implement Security Council resolutions.
She stressed that durable peace in South Asia remains linked to a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
She paid tribute to the resilience of Kashmiri women and youth living under occupation, reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir and their right to self-determination. She drew particular attention to the suffering and strength of Kashmiri women.
“The mass graves of their families represent only one part of a much larger reality. The silence imposed on entire communities is enforced through premeditated violence and brutal assaults against the women of the occupied valley. Despite this, the women of India-held Kashmir continue to stand firm as leaders at the forefront of what remains the longest resistance to the brute colonisation of a disputed region in the world.”
Ms Bhutto-Zardari recalled that the observance of Feb 5 as a national day of solidarity was initiated 36 years ago by her mother and former premier Benazir Bhutto. While addressing the youth of Kashmir, she acknowledged their key role in sustaining the freedom movement and urged them not to lose hope.
Bakhtawar Mian in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026
