13th martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri leader Afzal Guru today
Pakistan
On February 9, 2013, India secretly hanged him and buried him inside the Tihar jail complex where he had been in solitary confinement for 12 years
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and worldwide are observing the 13th martyrdom anniversary of prominent martyred leader Muhammad Afzal Guru today (Monday), with renewed pledge to continue struggle for freedom from Indian occupation.
The martyrdom anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru is observed on February 9, every year to pay homage to a hero of IIOJK’s indigenous freedom struggle who laid his life for the cause of the Kashmiri people.
On February 9, 2013, India secretly hanged him and buried him inside the Tihar jail complex where he had been in solitary confinement for 12 years. He was convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case and awarded a death sentence, though he always denied plotting the attack, which left 14 dead, including five militants.
Every year, on his martyrdom anniversary, a complete shutdown is observed in the IIOJK and protest demonstrations are held to demand the return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru.
Legal experts and rights activists had termed the execution a judicial murder, carrying a glaring stain on India's so-called democracy.
