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As millions prepare to mark Eid with joy and tradition, Amjad Ayub Mirza, a leading activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has declared the occasion hollow for those living under state repression in Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan.
Speaking from London, Mirza lamented the ongoing incarceration of key political and human rights activists, including Ehsan Ali Advocate of the Awami Action Committee, Mumtaz Hussain Nagri of the Karakoram National Movement, and young voices like Sakhi Asif and Mahrang Baloch. "Eid is meant to be a celebration of compassion and community, but how can we celebrate when our people are jailed for demanding basic rights?" he said. This year's Eid has been overshadowed by a surge in civil unrest across the occupied regions. In Balochistan, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) held protests even on Eid day, demanding answers for the thousands who have disappeared. In Gilgit, schoolteachers entered the 14th day of a sit-in, demanding fair treatment. Meanwhile, in PoJK, pensioners and non-gazetted government employees continue their struggle for economic justice. "These are not isolated grievances; they are cries of a suppressed population," Mirza said. He criticised the Pakistani elite for celebrating Eid in luxury while ignoring the daily suffering of ordinary citizens. Calling for urgent international intervention, Mirza urged global human rights bodies and independent media to spotlight the realities of the occupied territories. "As long as our voices are silenced and our people remain behind bars, Eid will have no meaning for us," he concluded. His message is a stark reminder that behind the celebrations, countless lives remain shadowed by fear, loss, and injustice. (ANI)
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