London (PNI) Campaign meetings were recently held in Luton and Slough to mobilize support for the upcoming Kashmir March in London, scheduled for August 5. The meetings were hosted by Haji Muhammad Shafait, Chairman of Luton Central Mosque, and Sardar Amjad Abbasi, former Mayor of Slough.
Fahim Kayani, President of the All Parties Alliance UK, along with Inam ul Haq, Secretary General of APIKCC, participated in and addressed the gatherings. The meetings coincided with the historic Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, observed annually on July 13, to honor the 22 Kashmiris who were martyred by the Dogra Army in Srinagar in 1931 while completing the call to prayer (Azan).
“We pay tribute to those brave martyrs who stood against tyranny, occupation, and oppression,” said Chief Guest Fahim Kayani, while addressing community leaders.
The Significance of August 5
Fahim Kayani emphasized the importance of August 5 in the Kashmiri resistance narrative. On August 5, 2019, the Indian government unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution — provisions that had granted special autonomous status to the region of Jammu and Kashmir.
“This move,” Kayani stated, “marked a dangerous escalation — converting Indian military occupation into formal colonization. It stripped Kashmiris of their political identity, land rights, and legal protections, and was carried out without the consent of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The action, widely criticized by international human rights organizations, violated multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, which recognize Kashmir as a disputed territory. Kayani further accused the Indian state of pursuing a policy of demographic engineering aimed at reducing the Muslim-majority character of the region — an act he described as “demographic terrorism,” in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law.
Diaspora Mobilization and International Advocacy
Fahim Kayani also reflected on recent geopolitical developments, stating:
“Pakistan’s military response on May 10 not only delivered a significant setback to India, but also played a pivotal role in re-internationalizing the Kashmir issue — especially in the context of increasing global concern over human rights violations in the region.”
Prominent community leaders from Luton and Slough were present, including Tahir Malik (former Mayor of Luton), Ch. Ziarat Hussain, Riaz Butt (former Mayor of Luton), Cllr Zaffar Ajaib, Cllr M. Sharif, Dr. M. Yaseen, Maulana Ejaz Ahmed, Raja Naveed, Cllr M. Nazir, Cllr Adrees Latif, Cllr Zafar Sathi, Farukh Qureshi, Ch. M. Ramzan, Ch. Zahid Luqman, Ch. M. Istiaq, Nazar Lodhi, Zaffar Qureshi, Mehrban Malik, Ejaz Malik, Azad Jarral, Raja Zafar, Ch. Shaban, Mumtaz Butt, Shabir Malik, Maulana Sajid Mehmood, Maulana Muhammad Farooq, Cllr Hafiz Yaqoob Hanif, Rehana Ali (Advocate), Malik Ghulam Mohiuddin (Advocate), Babar Awan, Cg M Asif ,Liaqat Malik, Ch. M. Shakeel, M. Zafar, and others, all of whom pledged their full support for the Kashmir March in London
These leaders jointly called on the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora in the UK to unite and take part in large numbers in the Kashmir March on August 5 in London. “This is a crucial opportunity to raise our collective voice against injustice, occupation, and human rights abuses in indian occupied of Kashmir,” they said.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
