Imran warns residents of AJK against crossing LoC

Tariq Butt

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday advised the residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) against crossing the Line of Control (LoC) to support the struggle of the people of Kashmir, who have been under a crippling lockdown for over two months now.

“I understand the anguish of the Kashmiris in AJK seeing their fellow Kashmiris under an inhumane curfew for over two months,” the premier said in a tweet.

“But anyone crossing the LoC from AJK to provide humanitarian aid or support for Kashmiri struggle will play into the hands of the Indian narrative,” he wrote.

That Indian narrative, Imran explained, tries to divert attention from the indigenous struggle of Kashmiris against brutal occupation by trying to label it as “Islamic terrorism” being driven by Pakistan.

“It will give India an excuse to increase violent oppression of Kashmiris and attack across LoC,” he cautioned.

The prime minister’s advice comes a day after tens of hundreds of emotionally charged Kashmiris from different parts of AJK set out in vehicular and motorcycle rallies to Muzaffarabad on the call of pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to show solidarity with the besieged people of Kashmir.

A JKLF spokesperson said that they would continue their march. “From Chakothi we will cross over the ceasefire line (LoC) for Srinagar,” he said, expressing his desire for the administration and police not to create hindrances for them.

Earlier on Friday, Muzaffarabad administration and police officials visited the local press club to appeal to people to avoid getting close to the LoC “in the interest of their own safety.”

“There are strong apprehensions that the Indian army would resort to shelling at the people assembling along the LoC which can subsequently cause serious casualties,” divisional commissioner Chaudhry Imtiaz said, urging “the participants of all rallies and processions not to provide any opportunity to the enemy to hurt unarmed citizens.”

There were reports that the administration had planned to stop the marchers beyond Chinari, located about 10 kilometres before the LoC.

Meanwhile, it was reported that a bus of Sikh tourists is coming to Pakistan from Canada for the celebration of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.

A Canadian Sikh family arranged a special bus to attend the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikh religion, according to a video that went viral on social media. The bus has reached Paris. The video shows the bus having facilities of kitchen, dining table, washroom and bedroom.

“Journey to Kartarpur” is written on its front side. It has got the map of the route that the bus is taking from Canada to Sultanpur Lodhi in India via Kartarpur. The map shows the bus crossing the Atlantic in a ship. The map shows the bus going to London, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey and Iran before reaching Kartarpur. It scheduled arrival in Sultanpur Lodhi in India is in November.

The bus started its journey from the city of Brampton in Canada on Sept.3. The Canadian Sikh family will also attend the opening ceremony of Kartarpur corridor. From Kartarpur, the bus will go to Sultanpur Lodhi, India.

The bus is taking the route to Pakistan through the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Turkey and Iran.

The tour, having about 10 people, is being led by Gurcharan Singh Banwait who, in another video, had the tour was being sponsored by other people and they were looking for more sponsors.

The Facebook page of “the Journey to Kartarpur & Sultanpur Lodhi” says, “Journey To Kartarpur & Sultanpur Lodhi” is a non-profit initiative led by the International Punjabi Foundation Canada. “Launched earlier this year in April, our main mission is to promote World Peace and International Cooperation through a driven Journey that will span half the globe.

“All of this is in efforts to build a Guru Nanak Mission Centre in Karatrpur for those in need.”