The Right of Self-Determination Day of the people of Jammu Kashmir State was observed from New York through London, Brussels, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi to all the district headquarters of Azad Kashmir with great fervor. Rallies, demonstrations and seminars were held in which demands were made to India, Pakistan and international community to concede their inherent, internationally recognised and pledged right of self-determination to over 17 million people of Jammu Kashmir State.
Held under the auspices of All Parties Adhoc Committee for Kashmiri Peoples Right of Self-Determination comprising 15 political parties of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan including the ruling and main opposition parties of Azad Kashmir, these public meeting adopted resolutions declaring that Kashmir Issue was not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan but concerned basically and exclusively, the inherent, internationally recognised and pledged right of self-determination of over 17 million people of Jammu Kashmir State, spread over 222000 square kilometers including Indian controlled part, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
The resolutions said that the State or any part of it was a constitutional part neither of India or Pakistan nor of any other country. The resolution also said that the people of Jammu Kashmir State would not accept any solution of the Kashmir Issue not based on Kashmiri peoples aspirations and freely expressed will.
Another resolution said that Kashmiris were following the principles laid down in UN Charter and UN General Assembly resolutions in their freedom movement, the only terrorism that existed in Kashmir was Indiacs State terrorism.
Most of speakers in these public meetings paid rich tributes to Mr Amanullah Khan, the Convener of All Parties Adhoc Committee and the Supreme Head of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) for his hectic, continuous and finally successful efforts to make 15 political parties of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit having different policies and ideologies, agree on one-point agenda of struggling for their right of self-determination. The speakers resolved to continue their struggle for their right of self-determination until they achieve their cherished objective.
The New York rally was held in front of UN Central Secretariat. During the rally a delegation of the regional committee of the All Parties Adhoc Committee for Kashmiri Peoples Right of Self-Determination submitted a memorandum to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mooncs Office calling upon him to take steps conducive to persuading India and Pakistan to concede their pledged right of self-determination to Kashmiris.
In London a Seminar was held in the House of Lords attended by a number of Britons of Kashmiri origin and British Parliamentarians including Lord Avebury and Lord Nazir who presided over two sessions of the Seminar. The seminar fully supported Kashmiris right of self-determination. In Brussels over a hundred people of Kashmiri origin marched up to European Parliament and submitted a memorandum. Memoranda were also handed over to UN Military Observers at Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Bhimber to be forwarded to UN Secretary General.
