All major political and religious parties marked the Kashmir Solidarity Day with great zeal by holding rallies, seminars and different camps in the city to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people who are facing the state brutality of Indian forces since generations.
The Mall remained the hub of all the political and religious parties for their rallies as all of them gathered there, demanding right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people. The official ceremony of the government was also held at Charing Cross where the central leaders of the PTI including MPAs and provincial ministers addressed the participants.
The PML-N held a rally at The Mall outside the Alhamra Hall where a large number of workers were present. The rally was addressed by PML-N Lahore President MNA Pervaiz Malik, MPA Kh Imran Nazir, MNA Ali Malik and former Mayor Lahore Col (retd) Mubashar Javaid. Speaking on the occasion, the leaders of PML-N said that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved by the role of visionary leaders like Nawaz Sharif, Mohatir Muhammad and Tayyap Erdogan. They were also all praised for Nawaz Sharif as they said that it was Sharif who reserved February 5 for the Kashmiri people in order to show solidarity with them. They also condemned the government for not allowing the PML-N to hold a solidarity camp at Chairing Cross. “It was a tradition for years that all the political and religious parties used to establish solidarity camps at The Mall’s Faisal Chowk just outside the Punjab Assembly but this year only the camp of PTI was allowed there,” said the PML-N. MPA Kh Imran Nazir said that the banners and flexes of PML-N were not allowed to be displayed at Faisal Chowk because the administration told that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is supposed to address a rally here and therefore no other political party can establish any camp there. MNA Malik Pervaiz said that it is the matter of just few months that the Buzdar government would be sent packing due to its failed policies. He also added that the PML-N isn’t satisfied over the Kashmir policy of the government.
Meanwhile, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azim while addressing participants of Kashmir Solidarity rally in Lahore said that six months were passed to curfew and lockdown in IHK with thousands of people were starving due to food shortage. Schools, shops and hospitals were closed and the entire valley was presenting a deserted look, he said, adding the international community was acting as a silent spectator over human rights abuses in the valley. “The Indian atrocities must end now and world community should pay its role for the solution of the longstanding issue according to the will of the people of the area,” he said. Azim added that Kashmir was incomplete agenda of the division of Sub-continent with the people of the area were fighting for the case of realization of Pakistan for seven decades.
Several other rallies were also carried out by parties including the JUI-F and TLP. Allama Khadim Rizvi of TLP held a rally on The Mall in which he asked the government to given seven-day deadline to the US and India for resolving the Kashmir issue otherwise Pakistan must wage a war to get Kashmir. Strict security arrangements were also in place by the Lahore police to avoid any untoward incident.