Daily Diary (DD) - Day 122 of 2026

1841hrs:

Certainly the most important day of the (English 3rd tier football) season. 

Luton Town's promotion push (final day of season):

Most recent background context

2006hrs: Writing as Luton trail 2-1 away to Bolton on the final day, as we turn our attention to the 2nd half of this highly riveting match. Luton have hit the woodwork 3 times and will continue to have scoring opportunities in this final half of (their game), effectively to end the season, unless they beat Bolton and hope Stevenage remain 0-0 at home to Wigan. 

They have manufactured great momentum over the past 9 games and can overturn the score, with their un-matched belief and fighting spirit. 

I want history to record my ambitions for Luton Town Football Club at this critical juncture, as they have the potential to positively affect our economy in AJK, in the years to come. 

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Update: 2030hrs

With 71 minutes played Luton have pegged back a goal to make it 2-2 while Stevenage are still 0-0. Barnsley have also equalised at home to Stockport (If they win that will also open a door for Luton). All to play for. At this stage and as it stands Luton just need 1 goal for all scores to favour their play-off ambition.

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Update: 2038hrs

At this stage Plymouth would go through at the cost of Stevenage and Luton, as they have overturned a 2-0 deficit to get to 3-2 against Northampton.

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Update: 2052hrs

Into the dying moments and Luton still need a goal!

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Update: 2054hrs

Stevenage have scored!

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Update: 2056hrs

Luton have also just scored but Stevenage still go through at this rate!

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Update: 2114hrs

So Stevenage confirm themselves as the 4th of 4 teams qualifying for a play-off position, along with Bolton, Bradford and Stockport. 

The table doesn't lie:

Table source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/tables#LeagueOne

Luton Town were relegated last year (tier 2 to tier 3 of the English Football League) as they couldn't muster that single point needed on the last day of last season. This year, Luton have just missed the possibility of promotion back to the Championship (tier 2) by a single point, despite gaining 26 points from the final 30 available this season.

It is a role reversal though (from a negative to a positive mindset), even though this lesson will cost another year in League One (tier 3). Building a culture of winning consistently is what Jack Wilshere has achieved in his first season. There could be no better form of preparation for next season.

Well done to Stevenage for fighting till the very end, so patiently and with so little apparent fuel or resources. Their struggle and the way they have approached it, has possibly eclipsed Luton's recent turn-around. That itself is a colossal achievement for a smaller town in our midst.

Final Thoughts:

Luton P46 W21 D11 L14 F68 A56 GD12 PTS 74

Played 46, Won 21, Drew 11, Lost 14, Goals Scored 68, Goals Conceded 56, Goal Difference +12 and Points 74

Average overall: 53.6% of available points derived.

Last 10 games average = 86.7%

Average before last 10 games = 44.4%

Retrospect:

Luton under Matt Bloomfield: P11 W5 D1 L5 F14 A13 PTS 16

48.5% success rate

Cup Competitions: P3 W1 D0 L2 F5 A5 :EFL Cup 1, FL Trophy 2  

33.3% success rate

Luton under Jack Wilshere: P35 W16 D10 L9 F54 A43 PTS 58

55.2% success rate

Cup Competitions: P8 W7 D0 L1 F23 A9 : FL Trophy 6, FA Cup 2 (2-1 loss to Swindon in FL Trophy converted to 3-0 win for Luton for the former breaking rules)

87.5%% success rate

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Gilgit-Baltistan on the brink of a biased, non-transparent and dubious election

The government of Pakistan has announced the date of June 7, 2026 for general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is a major geographic unit of the internationally disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Before the elections, all political and religious parties of Pakistan have been approved to join the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections and to keep the national and political parties of Gilgit-Baltistan out of the election process, as top leaders and candidates of local parties have been arrested here. 

Nationalist and progressive leaders who have participated in the Gilgit-Baltistan 'election process' have been booked under anti-terrorism laws. Their details are as follows:

1) Ehsan Ali Advocate - Chairman People's Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan. Candidate for Constituency GBA-6 Hunza.

2) Mohammad Nafees Advocate - Senior Leader of Balawaristan National Front. Candidate for Constituency GBA-3 Gilgit-III.

3) Shabir Hussain Mayar - Member of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-11 Kharmang.

4) Ta-aruf Abbas Advocate - Senior Leader of Karakoram National Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-13 Astore-I.

5) Abrar Ali Bagoro - Senior Leader of Karakoram National Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-14 Astore-II.

6) Fida Hussain Iftikhar - Senior Leader of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-10 Skardu-IV.

Several other political leaders and activists were also arrested, to ensure that these nationalist and progressive parties do not get access to the people during the election campaign, less win their respective seats in the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly.

We urge the Government of Pakistan to immediately release these candidates belonging to local and national parties of Gilgit-Baltistan. Thus, opening up the possibility of free, fair and transparent elections being conducted in the territory. We urge the 'powers-that-be' in Pakistan to drop bogus anti-terrorism cases against these candidates and to concede all political parties the necessary freedom to participate and campaign in the elections.

If these local national leaders are prevented from participating, these elections will be considered partial (biased), opaque and a one-sided exercise, without any legal or ethical merit. 

Courtesy: Manzoor Parwana (amongst the most prominent activists of Gilgit Baltistan, hailing from Rondu in Baltistan)

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

215

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

86

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

750

Cash in Hand: -29,950

Cash Deposits: 272,043

Immediate Debts: 0

..

Social Welfare Budget (Zakat/Sadqa):

Current Deposits: 257,000 

Arrears: 22,776 (pending from 17/03/2026 - money that has been spent elsewhere momentarily but needs to be rightfully returned to this fund)

Distributed (today): 0

Balance: 257,000

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 82 of 2026

1657hrs:

Today didn't produce the kickstart efficiency that I had naively envisaged. Sleeping soon after midnight (4 hours later than my aspired for target) I did get up at 0830hrs (5 and a half hours later than my aspired for target) but drifted back to sleep intermittently till about 1600hrs. There's clearly still a lot of work to do.

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I follow Sonam Wangchuk with keen interest, as I find him to be the most enlightened human in the whole of JKA (and even beyond I dare say):

 

Link to the article in Tribune India

I left the following comment on the Facebook post embedded above:

'Saza aur Jaza' (Punishment & Reward) applies to all human beings, including all entities and institutions created by human beings.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

209

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

86

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

561

Cash in Hand: 65,260

Cash Deposits: 270,370

Immediate Debts: 0

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 76 of 2026

1216hrs:

There is almost 36 hours between today's weblog entry and yesterday's. My daily routine has been disrupted like never before. I slept at c. 0300hrs this morning having had an early Sehri and just woke up before midday. This feels light years away from my optimum daily sleeping pattern.

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This genius endured 6 months of unnecessary prison time:

Source: The Hindu

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

86

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

555

Cash in Hand: 73,590

Cash Deposits: 265,333

Immediate Debts: 0

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 242 of 2025

1411hrs:

Today should be the day that my daily routine finally plugs into the right groove. There isn't any room for error remaining, given that there are only 123 days left this year.

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Matters in Rawalakot are still at a standstill as the city moves into its second day of a publicly enforced lockdown over arrests of students since August the 13th, whereby some fellow students continue their hunger strike till death.

Update (2055hrs):

The students were released at around midday, after all that battle of attrition over the past so many days. Normalcy returns to the region for the moment.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 231 of 2025

1054hrs:

At this stage I am still at home, waiting for confirmation before proceeding to Kotli.

Meanwhile, continuous heavy rains have inevitably created havoc throughout AJK and GB. Lives have been lost, property has been destroyed on account of which both government and public are proportionately responsible, for not ensuring appropriate infrastructure and public services are in place, for a territory that screams out for organisation.

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We are also waiting on details of our young political prisoners in Rawalakot, who we understand from local reports are being physically tortured and interrogated, not by the local police but by Pakistan's clandestine agencies. Further details and confirmation will follow in due course.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 229 of 2025

2144hrs:

Woke up in Dadyaal after not much sleep there. A lot of adrenaline prevented me from doing so. I spent a lot of important years in that very accommodating city. 

I also caught a few hours in Kotli. 

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Earlier this morning I completed a draft letter for diplomats, in reference to the plight of Yasin Malik, upon the request of a co-citizen. Here it is:

Your Excellencies, 

Memorandum

In the background of a Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led armed struggle for independence and reunification of the territory of Jammu & Kashmir since 1988, the subsequently imprisoned chairman of the JKLF Yasin Malik, publicly renounced violence as a means of resolving political conflict in 1994.

This strategic step towards non violence was not only welcomed in India but was also encouraged by the ‘International Community’ in general, led by Britain and the United States of America (USA) in particular. Successive Indian governments since 1994 had regularly given a prominent audience to Yasin Malik and others who had adopted peaceful means of struggle for their political objectives. British and American diplomats had frequently praised this stance and repeatedly gave some assurance of a move towards resolution in such an environment. Facilitating Yasin Malik to address Harvard University and the US State Department became examples of this encouragement towards a peaceful resolution.     

Conditions and opportunities for sustained dialogue continued till the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi came into power in 2014. The various “gentleman’s agreements” lost substance as the aforementioned government began cracking down hard on what they identified as “Kashmiri Separatists” and all possibilities of continuing dialogue gradually evaporated. Post 2018 many a political activist was indefinitely incarcerated - including Yasin Malik - and this process was intensified upon revocation of what remained of a “Special Status” of Indian Administered Jammu & Kashmir on August the 5th 2019, whereby it is reported that over 4,000 citizens of the Kashmir Valley remain imprisoned, including human rights defenders and journalists simply documenting these changes. 

In due course, the BJP led government disregarded all previous attempts at securing peace through peaceful means and re-opened over 3 decades old cases against Yasin Malik and others, sentencing the latter to life imprisonment. 

Of late, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has requested the Indian judiciary to convert Yasin Malik’s life sentence into the death penalty.

It is our informed opinion that if indeed Yasin Malik is hanged (like his leader Maqbool Bhat), hardliners within the freedom movement will revive what they would consider to be a dormant militant policy, abandoned since 1994. This would lead to the loss of yet another generation to violence and the world should do whatever is possible to avert repeating such a tragic scenario.    

We thus appeal to the world’s conscience through their respective governments and other multilateral forums to utilise their good offices, to urge the prevailing government in India to return to a framework of peaceful dialogue and to help create a conducive environment for such.

An iron-hand policy may fulfil temporary objectives and present favourable optics in the short term but as some Indian policy analysts have admitted, every power has to ultimately return to dialogue to achieve a sustainable solution. 

By releasing Yasin Malik and other political prisoners who originate from the conflict ridden Kashmir Valley, that conducive environment for result oriented dialogue may be revived.

..

End of draft....

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One can listen to the interview here:

https://t.co/JcX0yCl98S

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) August 17, 2025

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 216 of 2025

1011hrs:

I'm the first of 3 hunger strikers to reach the district courts complex today. The imprisoned Ayaz Butt and Zubair Bhatti are still in hospital. 

We are expecting a good crowd of co-citizens to come and witness the proceedings which have been pending since the 15th of June, marking 50 days of unwarranted detention. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 214 of 2025

0805hrs:

Recovering in hospital though our hunger strike continues into its 5th day. Yes, we are being injected with distilled water since being rushed into district headquarters hospital Kotli but all 3 of us (Ayaz Butt, Zubair Bhatti and myself) continue to refrain from eating or drinking anything; until Ayaz Butt is released unconditionally and rather than the dummy government taking a bond of assurity from political prisoners, rather that the dummy government should provide us - the public of AJK - an assurity that they will not target public activists ever again.

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Our hunger strike which continues into its 5th day is apparently of no use but we #AyazButt #ZubairBhatti & myself #TanveerAhmed continue to refrain from eating and drinking, though we are being injected with distilled water every few hours to counter the severe dehydration we have suffered from since Tuesday the 29th of July. 

The system doesn't really care if we die and we hope our people - whose dignity we are fighting for - do care. If you do, please peacefully lock the system down until it relents and conforms to unconditionally #Release_Ayaz_Butt . 

#GoHawaldaarGo

#MonitoringClandestineAgencies

JKA PUBLIC AGENCY Note: #E111902082025

The above note has also been posted on FaceBook and can be accessed here.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 213 of 2025

2112hrs:

Writing from my hospital bed....the system of governance here in AJK - if we can call it that - is in its last throes. 

There are 3 activists fighting for their lives - with the whole nation alert and preparing to jam the system from all corners - yet still maintaining a hunger strike despite being injected with drips of saline and glucose. 

The system (controlled by Pakistan) is still trying to maintain its 'writ' and being adamant that Ayaz Butt will be unconditionally released on his next hearing on the 4th of August. This is despite 2 judges admitting that no criminal charges can arise from the allegations against Ayaz Butt, as early as the 4th of July (after his arrest on the 15th of June) and as recently as the 26th of July, despite which giving a hearing date of the 4th of August, is evidence that the system has been dragging its feet to admit the inevitable. 

That is has to unconditionally release Ayaz Butt. The Pakistani State can no longer fool anyone about its using the right to self determination as a cover to force the people of AJK to confirm to its inhumane national narrative. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 212 of 2025

0821hrs:

37 hours and 21 minutes into my latest hunger strike. Except this time I am joining 2 other co-citizens, namely Ayaz Butt & Zubair Bhatti who have both been on hunger strike for 5 hours longer than me. 

Thus far, there doesn't seem to be any anxiety being displayed by the 'system' but if there is no resolution by tomorrow at noon (Fri 01 Aug 2025), then we will close Abshaar Chowk to all traffic. Subsequently, we will move on to Plan B, C, D etc. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 207 of 2025

2126hrs:

Still learning. Need to too. One cannot succeed otherwise. 

Yes, I did hit bed at 2000hrs on the dot but was too restless to sleep for many hours, though I did keep my environment dark and rarely left the horizontal position and kept my eyes closed. 

Yet, I still managed to sleep till 0700hrs.

I need to work much harder. 

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Today was an engaging environment in district courts complex Kotli. 

There are plenty of notes to share on our insistence on reversing the bail order of Ayaz Butt. 

The latter has always insisted, even before he got arrested on the 15th of June, that he will not take bail and add legitimacy to the Pakistani State's illegal presence in AJK. 

'Trusted sources' as quoted in the FIR cannot be Pakistan's clandestine agencies in this territory. 

We - the people - are the owners (Maalik), inheritors (Waaris), assurers (Zaamin) & protectors (Muhafiz) of the territory of AJK. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 203 of 2025

0331hrs:

I did try to sleep but the pattern practiced over the past few weeks, since returning from my most recent journey, has been nocturnal. 

A working day without sleep is a necessary chore that I will have to endure, even at this pivotal age of 53.

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So begins a new chapter in our 2 decades old activism:

1) From Muzammat (condemnation)   مذمت

2) To Muzaahamat (resistance)            مزاحمت

۔۔

Now we are well and truly in stage 3 of 4 viz.

3) Marrammat (corrective measures)   مرمت

Whereas the 4th and final stage will be the actualisation of a genuinely free people's government or #PopularSovereignty to use a technical term.

4) Hukumat (government)                   حکومت        

۔۔۔۔

On the 19th of July, an All-Parties Conference took place in Kotli with representation of over 15 political parties, alliances and organisations. A major outcome of this conference was the announcement of an International Committee for Political Prisoners - JKA.

In due course, we will have a daily update on the status of political prisoners and missing persons throughout the divided State of Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas), which will be accessible at jkapublicagency.org

The following example is of the status of political prisoners in Gilgit Baltistan who have been arrested on various dates during the month of May 2025. 

(These details will also be incorporated at the above referenced website): 

Currently there are 13 political leaders incarcerated in Gilgit Central Jail, whereas 2 were released on bail 2 days ago (21 July), namely Aslam Inqalabi and Sarfaraz Nagri. These aforementioned 2 political leaders were charged with sedition, while the remaining political leaders mentioned below, have been charged with sections related to anti-terrorism and rebellion.

Names (Urdu):

احسان ایڈووکیٹ  ضلع ہنزہ

مسعود الرحمن ضلع گلگت

محبوب ولی ضلع گلگت

ممتاز نگری ایڈووکیٹ  ضلع نگر

نفیس ایڈووکیٹ ضلع گلگت

تعارف ایڈووکیٹ ضلع استور

ابرار بگورو ضلع گلگت

شیر نادر شاہی ضلع غذر

اصغر شاہ ضلع گلگت

عرفان آذاد ضلع گلگت

منظر مایا  ضلع گلگت

وحید حسن ضلع ہنزہ

غلام عباس ایڈووکیٹ ضلع گلگت 

Names:

1) Ehsan Ali Advocate - Chairman of Awami Action Committee (AAC) Gilgit Baltistan (GB) - He hails from the district of Hunza and was arrested on the 14th of May.

2) Masood ur Rehman - President of Trader's Association Gilgit and member of AAC. He is a resident of  the district of Gilgit and we are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

3) Mehboob Wali (ur Rehman) - AAC and of Gilgit district.

4) Mumtaz Nagri Advocate - Chairman of Karakorum National Movement (KNM) and of Nagar district. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

5) Nafees Advocate - President of Balawaristan National Front (BNF) and of district Gilgit. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

6) Ta-aruf Abbas Advocate - General Secretary of Karakorum National Movement (KNM) and of district Astore. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

7) Ibrar Ali Bagoro - AAC and of Gilgit district. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

8) Sher Nadir Shahi - General Secretary Awami Worker's Party (AWP) and of district Ghizer. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

9) Asghar Shah  - AAC and of district Gilgit. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

10) Irfan Azad - President of Balawaristan National Front (BNF) and of district Gilgit. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

11) Manzar Maya - AAC and of district Gilgit. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

12) Waheed Hassan - Awami Worker's Party  (AWP) and of district Hunza. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

13) Ghulam Abbas Advocate - AAC and of district Gilgit. We are awaiting confirmation of his date of arrest.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 200 of 2025

2320hrs:

Positive vibes....

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 192 of 2025

1329hrs:

I haven't ventured out to Kotli today either, focussing on data management at home instead. 

We have learned that Ayaz Butt's incarceration has been extended (he was originally arrested on the 15th of June 2025) to the 24th of July at least. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 365 of 2023

1611hrs:

The last day of the year obviously invokes reflection over the past 365 days. It was the first year since 2018 that I hadn't spent even a day in jail. Although I was technically detained a couple of times in the summer for a few hours on each occasion. Just like our activism has evolved over the years, so has our police force which has increased its respect for our work accordingly. They have understood our selfless ambitions for our territory and know that we are fighting to ensure our coming generations escape the slavery thrust on us.

It was also a day spent in Dadyaal. The very place that has ensured the territory of AJK turned its attention towards reclaiming ownership of it. The people hitherto understood 'No India' and now they understand 'No Pakistan' too. 

 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 324 of 2023

1823hrs:

Have reached Muzaffarabad.....A lot later than we needed to be.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 229 of 2023

2238hrs:

Recuperating from my feet injuries reluctantly.

We gave an ultimatum of 4 days to the Pakistani State to release all political prisoners in AJK and to refrain from manipulating our administration to keep public opinion in check:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 220 of 2022

1130hrs:

Day 64 at Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Square - Dadyaal.

0749hrs

My punctuality deficit has decreased to 440 minutes.

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It was inevitable that Dadyaal would also witness a total shutdown and it did:

Despite the Pakistani State and its local facilitators in #AJK sinking to their knees, the anger over exploitation boiling since 1947 is not going to abate anytime soon.
Dadyaal witnesses its first total shutdown in the current era.#JKASovereignty#PakistaniMilitaryRetreat pic.twitter.com/w7rns9tbF5

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) August 8, 2022

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It was a very hot day but this interview by Mohammad Khan for Channel Live Ratta111 in Birmingham was as important to produce as it was necessary to endure the heat. The interview begins in Pahaari but then drifts into English so that both 'worlds' can be addressed:

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