Calgary, Canada: The Kashmiri community in Calgary, Canada, staged a peaceful rally calling for an immediate end to the violence and militarization in Jammu and Kashmir. Demonstrators gathered with white flags — symbols of peace — to protest against the recent escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).
The rally, organized under the banner of unity, witnessed participation from Kashmiris belonging to various ideological and organizational backgrounds. Community members, including human rights activists, families, and students, marched together to draw international attention to what they described as the “ongoing bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris.”
“We are here today to call on the world to stop treating Jammu and Kashmir as a testing ground for weapons,” said Sardar Naseer Khan, head of the diplomatic wing of the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), who addressed the gathering. “India and Pakistan may both claim victory in their skirmishes, but it is the Kashmiris who have suffered the most — in lives, in homes, and in dreams.”
Placards and banners displayed during the protest carried powerful messages demanding freedom, justice, and adherence to international human rights standards. Demonstrators condemned the recent civilian casualties and infrastructural damage caused by cross-border shelling and military actions in both Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
Speakers at the rally appealed to the Canadian government, the United Nations, and global human rights organizations to intervene urgently. “Despite the so-called ceasefire, bullets are still being fired at innocent people across the LoC,” said one protester. “We urge the UN to acknowledge this reality and push for the demilitarization of the region and a just resolution to the Kashmir dispute.”
The protesters reiterated the long-standing demand for the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, in line with UN resolutions. “Peace in South Asia is impossible without resolving the Kashmir issue through the will of its people,” added another community member. “Over two billion lives in the region are hostage to this unresolved conflict.”
The peace rally concluded with a unified call for justice and lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. The community pledged to continue raising its voice until the region is free from occupation and its people are allowed to determine their own future.
Editor’s Note:
This report is part of Azadi Times’ ongoing coverage of the Kashmir conflict, offering voices from the ground and the diaspora.
