LONDON: Thousands of people took part in a march here on Sunday to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir and support their decades-long struggle for the right to self-determination and to protest human rights violations by Indian troops in the occupied region.

The march which started from London’s Trafalgar Square and concluded at 10 Downing Street was attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his sister Assefa, leaders of Pakistan’s religious and political parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and members of civil society.

Also read: Held Kashmir: submerged and suppressed

Addressing the participants, former Azad Kashmir prime minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood said: “We have gathered here to express solidarity with the Kashmiris and draw attention of the international community to the Kashmir issue”.

He said the struggle would continue till the independence of Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.

Some people in the crowd pelted Bilawal Bhutto with plastic bottles, cans and shoes when he was on the dais at the square and raised slogans of ‘Go Nawaz go’ and ‘Go Bilawal go’.

Former interior minister Rehman Malik and PPP Senator Saeed Ghani accused some political elements of playing at the hands of India’s sympathisers to sabotage the event.

The London police tried to take Bilawal Bhutto away from the dais for his safety because of the saboteurs’ violent behaviour, but the PPP leader stood resolute and responded: “These agents (of India) who are trying to damage the cause of Kashmir and intimidate me into leaving should know that I will not leave before completing my speech. This is not about me or you; this is about the people of Kashmir.”

He declared that nobody would be allowed to play “partisan politics or diplomatic games” with the lives and future of the people of Kashmir. He said he had attended the march to pledge solidarity with the people of Kashmir and to reaffirm his party’s unconditional support for their struggle for self-determination.

In a tweet message, Assefa said: “Indian agents tried 2 stop my brother from speaking but Alhamdulillah they did NOT succeed. He completed his speech & Alhamdulillah he is safe.”

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014