A Kashmiri organization, Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir, staged a series of rallies to condemn New Delhi’s decision to host a G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar, the capital of India-held Jammu and Kashmir. The final rally took place in Pallandari, Sudhnoti district, under the banner of the organization, which represents post-1989 migrants from India-held Kashmir. The group called for a boycott of the controversial event by all member states, drawing a parallel to China’s boycott.
The rally in Pallandari marked the 16th such event organized by Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir in various cities and towns in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) since April 26. Participants carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans denouncing Indian efforts to mislead the international community by hosting the G20 meeting in occupied Srinagar starting on May 22.
Banners read statements such as “India is responsible for innocent killings in occupied Kashmir; G20 member states should boycott its summit if held in disputed Kashmir” and “Go India go back from Kashmir.” The rally attendees, also holding black flags, chanted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans as they marched from the local courts to the grand mosque in the town.
Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, the chief of Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, expressed that hosting the G20 meeting in an internationally recognized disputed territory by an occupying country should be unacceptable to all nations that value the sanctity of the United Nations and its Security Council resolutions. He expressed gratitude to the People’s Republic of China for its statement and called upon other countries to adopt a similar position.
Ghazali announced that a large-scale rally would be held in Burhan Wani Chowk of Muzaffarabad on Monday to condemn Indian conspiracies and military oppression in the disputed territory. The announcement was made in response to the breakthrough achieved by China’s announcement of a boycott, as well as Ankara and Riyadh’s decision to skip registration for the G20 meeting.
Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, the regional president of the PPP, hailed China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia for their stance and hoped that other member states, including the European Union, would follow suit. He emphasized that participating in the G20 meeting would encourage India to continue disregarding UN Security Council resolutions and international conventions, holding those nations equally responsible for the region’s instability.
As tensions and discontent continue to rise regarding the G20 meeting in Srinagar, it remains to be seen how other member states and international actors will respond. The Kashmiri group’s protests highlight the deep concerns and grievances regarding the disputed territory and the need for a resolution that respects the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.