Published: November 05, 2009

JKLF Marches Up to 20,000 Protestors Towards Islamabad

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Convoys from all over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK or Free Jammu and Kashmir), are moving towards Islamabad to protest Pakistan's recent move to give province-like status to Gilgit-Baltistan.

They have been stopped at Pak-Patan, the border of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan, where police erected hurdles on the roads, preventing the protestors marching towards Islamabad. JKLF activists say they are determined to move towards Islamabad where hundreds of JKLF activists and other Kashmiri people are waiting for them. They have crossed six hurdles so far.

The people in the march numbered from 18,000 to 20,000 and organizers say they will keep marching all night in order to reach Islamabad.

A demonstration was also held in Gilgit and a protest note was given to the United Nations Office. The protest was led by JKLF Gilgit-Baltistan zone president Zia-ul-Haq.

Protests against the granting of autonomy were also held in parts of Indian Held Kashmir with the main rally in Srinagar. In this rally, activists were led by Senior Vice chairman SM Afzal and Zonal President Abdul Qadir Rathar, who appeared at Press Colony, Lal Chowk, Thursday morning.

The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a Kashmiri nationalist organization founded in Birmingham, UK provided information for this report.