SRINAGAR: The woman separatist group in Kashmir, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughters of nation) Thursday celebrated Pakistan National Day in Srinagar by singing country’s national anthem and waving the flags.
The Dukhtaran-e-Milltat (DeM) chairperson and hardline separatist leader Asiya Andrabi alongwith other women activists of the group assembled somewhere in Srinagar and celebrated the Pakistan National day.
In the video, which has gone viral on social media, the burqa clad activists of DeM are seen singing Pakistan national anthem and waving the flags of the country to celebrate country’s National Day.
A spokesman of DeM said the function to celebrate Pakistan Day was chaired by party chairperson, Asiya Andrabi and attended by hundreds of party members.
She said the party members and women participated in the progarmmes and celebrated the Pakistan Day with “great zeal and enthusiasm”.
“The Pakistani flags were waved and country’s national anthem sung to express love and solidarity with Pakistan,” she said.
Asiya in her address to the participants said they were celebrating the day on a land that belongs to them.
“We are not celebrating this day on someone else’s land but we are celebrating this great day on the land which has been occupied by India and is destined to become part of Pakistan,” she said adding, “Though J&K is disputed territory, the celebrations is a clear message that we want to end all forcible, illegal and sinister relations with India and want to join Pakistan”.
The PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir barred the separatist leaders from visiting Pakistan embassy in New Delhi to attend the Pakistan Day function there.
All the top separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, were either placed under house arrest or detained to prevent them from reaching Delhi to attend the Pakistan Day function.
The Pakistan envoy to India had invited all top separatist leaders in the Valley to attend Pakistan Day function at its embassy in New Delhi today.
It was for the first time in over 27 years of turmoil in the Valley that the government barred all separatist leaders from attending the Pakistan Day function at Pakistan embassy.
The separatist leaders have slammed the government for curbs on them and said such tactics was reflection of “repressive mindset” of rulers in Jammu and Kashmir.