Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Pays Tribute to Jammu Martyrs, Reaffirms Commitment to Kashmir’s Freedom Struggle

Islamabad: Former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan has paid glowing tribute to the martyrs of Jammu on the occasion of Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Jammu (Jammu Martyrs’ Day), recalling their supreme sacrifices for the cause of freedom and Pakistan.In his message, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said that on July 19, 1947, Kashmiri Muslims had passed the Resolution of Accession to Pakistan, clearly defining their destiny and ideological commitment. This decision, he said, had deeply unsettled the pro-India rulers and their masters, who resorted to violence and bloodshed to crush the Kashmiris’ desire for freedom.He noted that the massacre of Muslims in Jammu in November 1947 remains one of the darkest chapters in history. During those tragic days, the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh, the Dogra army, Indian officials, and armed RSS extremists unleashed unprecedented brutality on innocent Muslims. More than 250,000 Muslims were martyred, thousands of women and children suffered horrific violence, and hundreds of thousands were forced to migrate, leaving their ancestral homes behind.Sardar Tanveer Ilyas described this massacre as a systematic conspiracy aimed at erasing the Muslim identity of Kashmir and punishing their unwavering love for Pakistan. He said the genocide that began in 1947 continues to this day in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, while the silence of the international community over demographic changes and ongoing atrocities remains deeply concerning.He warned that the Kashmir dispute is a smouldering issue that could engulf the entire region if left unresolved. He urged the United Nations and the international community to act immediately to end the oppression in occupied Kashmir and to help resolve the dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan further said that the people of Kashmir have written a glorious history of sacrifice in their struggle for freedom. “Kashmiris have been fighting the war for the completion of Pakistan for decades. Pakistan is their ultimate destination, for which they have sacrificed generations,” he said.He reaffirmed that on November 6, the people of Azad Kashmir pay heartfelt tribute to the martyrs of Jammu, vowing to keep the flame of freedom burning and to continue their mission until the right to self-determination is achieved and occupied Kashmir is liberated.