Islamabad: In a pointed press statement issued from abroad to mark the death anniversaries of prominent figures Maqbool Butt and Afzal Guru, senior pro-independence Kashmiri leader Quayyum Raja paid solemn tribute to the “supreme sacrifices” of the two men while issuing a stark rebuke of the current trajectory of confrontational groups operating within the movement.
Raja commemorated Butt and Guru alongside countless others who, he stated, “sacrificed their all for the just cause.” However, his message quickly pivoted from remembrance to critique, expressing deep regret that the current struggle has stagnated into performative activism.
Raja lamented that despite the immense sacrifices made, tangible progress remains elusive. He observed that efforts have been largely reduced to holding rallies and issuing repetitive statements by various factions. In his harshest critique, he asserted that these groups currently “spend more time against each other than focusing on the actual objective.”
Citing the rapid evolution of the geopolitical landscape, Raja argued that the historical methods of protest are no longer sufficient. He stressed that the changing circumstances require a departure from conventional tactics.
“We have to rethink about it if we want any progress on the issue facing the people of Jammu Kashmir, for which they have sacrificed everything they had,” Raja stated.
He explicitly called for the formulation of a “new and fresh political and diplomatic strategy,” suggesting that the current paradigm—dominated by internal rivalry and repetitive rhetoric—has rendered the movement ineffective.
Raja’s statement comes as Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and within the diaspora observe the martyrdom anniversaries of the two jailed figures. Muhammad Maqbool Butt was executed in Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984, while Muhammad Afzal Guru was hanged at the same facility on February 9, 2013 .
Earlier this week, gatherings in Brussels and Mirpur paid respects to the men, with speakers vowing to protect their legacy . Raja’s message, however, strikes a notably different tone—shifting the focus from legacy preservation to strategic overhaul.
Raja’s intervention signals a potential fracture in consensus regarding resistance tactics. By framing the issue as one requiring diplomatic and political—rather than solely symbolic—engagement, he has challenged the status quo maintained by traditional hardline factions.
