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Burhan Wani’s third martyrdom anniversary is being commemorated with rallies, marches and functions held in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. While in Indian-occupied Kashmir, a protest shutdown is being observed and the Indian forces have sealed Bani’s hometown and arrested multiple leaders to quell protests.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will commemorate Burhan Muzaffar Wani’s third martyrdom anniversary by staging rallies and meetings to pledge their support to the ongoing struggle for freedom in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK).
3rd martyrdom anniversary of Burhan Wani is being commemorated in #AJK as Resistance day. #Kashmir#KashmirBleeds#BurhanWani pic.twitter.com/tFwCWxOQHN
— Sackob Aly (@SackobAly) July 8, 2019
Burhan Wani, the revolutionary young Chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest freedom fighters group in Indian-occupied Kashmir, was martyred by the Indian army during an encounter in Bamdoora village of Southern Kashmir.
Burhan: A Social Media Revolution
In 2011, the son of a local school headmaster emerged as the face of the armed resistance against the Indian occupation forces in Jammu & Kashmir; Burhan is responsible for mainstreaming the Kashmiri struggle for freedom and giving it a platform through social media.
Burhan Wani’s third martyrdom anniversary is being commemorated with rallies, marches and functions held in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Wani’s video messages circulating on social media platforms would depict a handsome young man in military clothing holding assault rifles, inviting his Muslim brothers to join hands against the brutal Indian occupation.
After Burhan was martyred, the occupied valley was gripped with a wave of terror, marking the longest curfew ever imposed for over 100 days. The Indian army killed hundreds of innocent civilians, staged enforced disappearances, and thousands were injured while the occupation force attempted to quell the loud and bold protests against Burhan’s martyrdom and India’s unlawful occupation.
Read more: India continues to be threatened by the legacy of Burhan Wani
New Delhi was of the opinion that Burhan’s death would dim the fervor of the anti-Indian campaign, but they were wrong, his martyrdom renewed the fervor and enthusiasm of the armed resistance movement, and hundreds of educated young men picked up arms to fight the enemy.
Wani’s Death Anniversary in AJK
On Monday, Jamaat-i-Islami Azad Jammu & Kashmir will hold a large-scale public meeting to commemorate the martyrdom of Burhan Wani alongside the hustling Bank Road. The meeting will be spearheaded by Liaqat Baloch, deputy Chief of JI Pakistan, who will address the public as the key speaker.
#India you killed one Burhan and here are uncountable Burhans who will resist your illegal occupation in #Kashmir
Burhan was one of the victim of Indian atrocities as he & his family suffered humiliation in #IOK and joined armed struggle for freedom. #BurhanWani pic.twitter.com/XHEddqUTOV— Sackob Aly (@SackobAly) July 8, 2019
Extending an invitation to all media personalities and newsmen, Shaikh Aqeel-ur Rehman, senior leader of JI Azad Jammu & Kashmir, said, “This public meeting will not only commemorate the martyrdom of Burhan Wani and his comrades, but also, it will shed light on the PTI-led government’s ignorance to the plight of the Kashmiris struggling against the brutal Indian occupation.”
After Burhan was martyred, the occupied valley was gripped with a wave of terror, marking the longest curfew ever imposed for over 100 days.
He said, “We will remind the rulers of Pakistan that the Kashmiris are fighting their war, and they require solid support at this pivotal stage of their revolutionary struggle against a brutal occupation. Big words and empty rhetoric are useless.”
JI leader, Shaikh Aqeel-ur Rehman, added that the authorities of Pakistan have shut down the offices of all pro-Kashmiri organizations, including the main group, Hizbul Mujahideen, and that people associated with this group are being rampantly arrested. He said, “If you cannot support them, be clear in denying your help.”
Read more: Aamir Liaqat to play Burhan Wani in his debut film
Day of Resistance
The Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir (PHJK), a group erected by migrants from Indian-occupied Kashmir in the late 1990s, has planned to carry out a march, starting from the press club to Bank Road earlier on Monday. Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, the Chief of PHJK, said, “The third anniversary of his martyrdom will be marked as a day of resistance.”
The government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir is also holding a gathering at the press club to commemorate the anniversary. This sponsored function will be held in Muzaffarabad and was expected to be attended by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider.
Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, the Chief of PHJK, said, “The third anniversary of his martyrdom will be marked as a day of resistance.”
However, his press secretary, Mr. Raja Wasim Khan, informed the press that the AJK Prime Minister will now be speaking at a function held in Islamabad under the patronage of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.
Paying a tribute to martyred Kashmir leader Burhan Wani, AJK Prime Minister Haider said that Wani was a brave and courageous young leader who poured new life into the freedom struggle of his people. Prime Minister Haider also paid tribute to other Hurriyat leaders, many of which are languishing in India’s notorious Tihar Jail, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik, Syeda Asiya Andrabi and Zafar Akbar Bhat.
Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said, “Burhan Wani is the face of the Kashmiri struggle for freedom, and on his martyrdom anniversary, let us pledge ourselves to support his mission. Not just in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but in fact, people throughout Pakistan and Gilgit Baltistan stand with Kashmir at this pivotal stage in achieving our common cause.”
Read more: Zakir Musa: Burhan Wani’s Comrade & India’s Most Wanted Militant Killed in Pulwama
Wani’s Hometown Sealed
Reports emerging from Indian-occupied Kashmir reveal that on Monday, the Indian authorities shut down all mobile internet facilities, and Burhan Wani’s hometown was sealed off by the Indian forces to bar scores of Kashmiris from paying homage to their iconic hero.
Jammu & Kashmir: Shut down in Srinagar today, on the 3rd death anniversary of terrorist Burhan Wani. pic.twitter.com/QLc07Mxu8r
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2019
On Sunday, security alerts echoed through the occupied valley as the Indian forces began making preventive arrests a day before Wani’s third anniversary. The Hurriyat leadership, including Muhammad Yasin Malik, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, urged the people of Indian occupied Kashmir to initiate a shutdown in protest.
https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1147920425449664512
The streets of Kashmir are empty and devoid of public, and the authorities, in response to the call for a shutdown, suspended all mobile internet facilities across Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam and other districts.
Kashmir shuts on Burhan Wani’s death anniversary https://t.co/UfY65tk9n3 pic.twitter.com/PxNu6XMXm7
— The Kashmir Monitor (@Kashmir_Monitor) July 8, 2019
Dr. Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of the Foreign Office, tweeted, “Gone but not forgotten: Shutdown in IOK on 3rd death anniversary of Burhan Wani- Kashmiri struggle for self-determination in IOK continues, despite enhanced Indian brutalities.”
Gone but not forgotten: Shutdown in IOK on 3rd death anniversary of #BurhanWani– Kashmiri struggle for self determination in IOK continues, despite enhanced indian brutalities #kashmirbleeds pic.twitter.com/tzt4T5sEag
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) July 8, 2019