The Kashmir March, scheduled for August 5 in London, is gaining momentum with key meetings held in Luton and Slough, the UK, to mobilize support.  The meetings were hosted by Haji Muhammad Shafait, Chairman of Luton Central Mosque, and Sardar Amjad Abbasi, former Mayor of Slough. Fahim Kayani, President of the All Parties Alliance UK, and Inamul Haq, Secretary General of APIKCC, participated in and addressed the gatherings. 

The meetings coincided with Kashmir Martyrs' Day, observed annually on July 13, to honor the 22 Kashmiris who were martyred by the Dogra Army in Srinagar in 1931 while completing the call to prayer (Azan). Fahim Kayani paid tribute to the martyrs, emphasizing their stand against tyranny, occupation, and oppression. Fahim Kayani highlighted the significance of August 5 in the Kashmiri resistance narrative, marking the day when the Indian government unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution in 2019.

This move stripped Kashmiris of their political identity, land rights, and legal protections, and was carried out without the consent of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.  Kayani condemned India's actions as "demographic terrorism" and emphasized the need for international attention to human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir. The community leaders urged the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora to unite and participate in the Kashmir March, calling it a crucial opportunity to raise their collective voice against injustice, occupation, and human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir. 

Prominent among those who attended the meetings include:  Fahim Kayani, Inamul Haq, Haji Muhammad Shafait, Sardar Amjad Abbasi and Tahir Malik while key community leaders from Luton and Slough including Ch. Ziarat Hussain and Riaz Butt were also in attendence. The leaders jointly called on the diaspora to take part in large numbers in the Kashmir March on August 5 in London, emphasizing the need for solidarity with the Kashmiri people and their struggle for self-determination. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)