Business Recorder
LAHORE: A strong protest demonstration was held under the auspices of women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore against the Indian government’s decision to sentence prominent Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Asiya Andrabi to three life imprisonments for raising her voice for the right to self-determination. A large number of women participated in the protest, expressing heartfelt solidarity with the Kashmiri women leaders and the Kashmiri people. Addressing the gathering, Secretary General of the Women’s Wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Dr Humaira Tariq said that the punishment given to Asiya Andrabi is in fact a failed attempt to suppress the voice of the entire Kashmiri nation. She stated that India cannot defeat the Kashmiri spirit of freedom through oppression, coercion, and imprisonment. Kashmir is the lifeline of Pakistan, and without its freedom, Pakistan’s ideology remains incomplete. She further said that sentencing a 65-year-old innocent woman to three life terms merely for demanding freedom, and giving her two companions 30-year prison sentences each, is a slap in the face of humanity. Dr Tariq added that organisations that frequently take to the streets to highlight women’s victimisation are now conspicuously silent, which is highly meaningful and condemnable. Addressing global human rights advocates, she urged them to abandon double standards and raise their voices against injustices faced by Kashmiri women. She emphasised that this is not just the case of one woman but of all humanity. She further said that the Kashmiri people have been making unparalleled sacrifices for decades in pursuit of their fundamental right to self-determination, and the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this struggle. Leaders like Asiya Andrabi are shining examples of courage, perseverance, and sacrifice, whose struggle has become part of history. She called on the international community to take notice of India’s actions and play a role in granting Kashmiris their legitimate rights. Dr Humaira Tariq also strongly condemned what she described as the US aggression against Iran and the misuse of power, stating that such actions by global powers pose a threat to world peace. She urged the Muslim world to unite and raise a strong voice against such measures. Deputy Secretary of the Women’s Wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Samina Saeed said in her speech that India’s ugly face has been exposed globally. She called the sentence given to Asiya Andrabi a serious violation of human rights. She added that Kashmiri women are continuing to write new chapters of determination and resilience, and their sacrifices will not go in vain. She also claimed that an alliance between the US, Israel, and India poses a constant threat to global peace, and that Muslims must take concrete steps to safeguard their countries from external pressure. Dr Sameeha Raheel Qazi said that Kashmir is not just a region but a guarantor of Pakistan’s ideological and geographical completion. She stated that the Kashmiri struggle is a fight for justice, freedom, and human dignity, which every conscious individual must support. She stressed that Pakistan must highlight the Kashmir cause more effectively at diplomatic, moral, and political levels. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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