Kashmir flag raised at Number One Riverside for Azad Kashmir Day

Kashmir flag raising, 24 October 2021

Scores of people attended the annual Kashmir flag raising ceremony, organised by Rochdale Kashmiri Association, on Sunday 24 October at Number One Riverside.

Despite bad weather, members of the community came out to participate in the ceremony to mark the date Azad Kashmir was established in 1947. The flag has been raised in the borough on 24 October – Azad Kashmir Day – for the last 10 years.

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed conducted the ceremony which also saw messages of support from the Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Aasim Rashid; council leader Neil Emmott and Rochdale's MP Sir Tony Lloyd, who all raised the flag.

Community leaders and members of the local community also spoke to broadcast media channels and condemned human rights violations and atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. They asked the international community to show solidarity and support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, urging for the United Nations to resolve the long-running conflict, and for British politicians to speak up for the Kashmiri community.

Councillor Shakil Ahmed said: “It is about time the world community realises the effects of [these] atrocities on the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir and steer up momentum to resolve this long-standing conflict that has taken thousands of innocent lives over the past 70 years.”

Some members of Rochdale Kashmiri Association were presented with awards for their voluntary services and Javed Akhtar, chair of the Rochdale Kashmiri Association, thanked everyone for attending.

All were invited to Apna Ghar (‘Our home’ in Hindi-Urdu) at Kashmir Youth Project for light refreshments.