Martyrdom Anniversary of Burhan Wani Observed Across Kashmir

Srinagar: As Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and around the world observed the 9th martyrdom anniversary of iconic youth leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani, new figures laid bare the ongoing brutality in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Radio Pakistan, since the extrajudicial killing of Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, Indian troops have martyred two thousand sixty-two Kashmiris. More than forty-one thousand civilians, including Hurriyat leaders, journalists, youth, and human rights defenders, have been arrested, while over thirty thousand have sustained injuries due to indiscriminate use of bullets, pellets, and teargas during protests, funerals, and peaceful demonstrations.

Burhan Wani, who had become the fearless face of the Kashmiri freedom struggle, was martyred along with his two associates in a staged encounter by Indian troops in the Kokernag area of Islamabad district. On this occasion, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the Kashmir cause, hailing Burhan’s role in reinvigorating the spirit of resistance among Kashmiri youth.

The Hurriyat denounced the Modi regime’s Hindutva designs and called on the United Nations to resolve the Kashmir dispute in line with its resolutions. Posters appeared in Srinagar, Pulwama, Bandipora, and Ganderbal, paying glowing tributes to Shaheed Burhan Wani. The posters urged the public to remember the martyrs and carry forward their mission of liberating Kashmir from Indian occupation.

In Islamabad, Chairman of the Parliamentary Kashmir Committee Rana Qasim Noon addressing a seminar emphasized that Burhan Wani’s martyrdom gave unprecedented momentum and clarity to the freedom struggle. Participants of massive rallies and public gatherings held across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalakot, and Kotli, warned the unresolved Kashmir dispute remains a nuclear flashpoint in South Asia. The events were organized by the APHC-AJK chapter and Jammu and Kashmir Shuhada Foundation.