Rawalakot
Terming the founding President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan as the George Washington of Kashmir, incumbent president Sardar Masood Khan said that Sardar Ibrahim had not only led the armed struggle of Jammu and Kashmir, but also steered the political movement for the freedom of the Kashmir from the tyrannical rule of the Mahraja and the Indian government. The territory liberated under the leadership of Sardar Ibrahim is now called ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’.
He was addressing a function held at the University of Poonch to mark the 16th death anniversary of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, an illustrious leader who died in 2003 after serving as AJK president for four times. The leader of the visiting EU parliamentary delegation Richard Corbett, who is the leader of the Labour Party in the European Parliament and Co-Chair of the Friends of Kashmir Group , Members of EU Parliament (MEP) Ms Irina Von Weise and MEP Shaffaq Mohammad, Vice Chancellor University of Poonch Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rasul Jan, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Self Determination Movement International Raja Najabat Hussain and leader of Brussels-based Kashmir Council Europe, Sardar Siddique, also spoke at the event.
President Masood said Ghazi Millat, a son of the soil, was a great hero of Kashmir and Pakistan. ‘Sardar Ibrahim was a great constitutionalist and a firm believer of the rule of law. He will be remembered and admired as a great leader because of his high ideals, strong commitment and his politics based on principles,’ Masood Khan said.
The President said that Sardar Ibrahim had the unique distinction of building the new state of AJK, which started literally from scratch. Sardar Masood Khan, who is the 26th successor of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, said that the Kashmiri nation will remain indebted to him.