A large number of Kashmiri-Americans and friends of Kashmir gathered outside the United Nations in New York, demanding freedom from Indian occupation despite the thundershowers.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the protesters held banners and placards with messages like “NO Election No Selection: UN Resolutions Only Solution” and “Indian Army Out of Kashmir” ¹.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum, criticized Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Jaishankar’s speech at the UN, calling it “mendacious” and accusing India of violating human rights and UN resolutions. Dr. Fai emphasized that Kashmiris never felt part of India and that India’s unilateral claim on Kashmir is not accepted by the UN or the US.

Other speakers, including Dr. Pir Ali Shah Bukhari and Sardar Sawar Khan, condemned India’s actions in Kashmir and called for the implementation of UN resolutions granting Kashmiris the right to self-determination. They warned that India’s demographic changes in Kashmir threaten the nation’s existence and demanded the release of political prisoners.

Protesters and speakers, including Muhammad Asaad, Khalid Awan, and Ms. Madina Ambar, expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir and urged the international community to intervene. They emphasized that Kashmir’s dispute can only be resolved through peaceful negotiations between India, Pakistan, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Others who addressed the event included Sardar Imtiaz Khan Garalvi, Raja Razzaq, Sardar Sajid Sawar, Sardar Shoaib Irshad, Altaf Adha, Raja Mukhtar, Ms. Amna Habib Taj, Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan and Sardar Zarif Khan.

The event also featured Khalid Mahmood Saifi, Sufi Manzoor Ahmad, Farhan Sadiq, Choudhary Sohail Ashraf, Tariq Nazir Khan, Mohammad Khalid Shaheen, Maqsood Hussain Chugtai, Shorab Khan; Sardar Mohsin Khan, Mushtaq Khan, Rizwan Abbasi, and Zahid Shahbaz.