Srinagar, 17 January (H.S.): Scores of people in parts of Kashmir today held rallies expressing solidarity with Iran and its Supreme leader, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, amid continuing unrest.

The rallies were held in Srinagar, Budgam, and Pulwama districts, with protesters carrying placards and raising slogans in support of Iran and against the United States and Israel.

In Srinagar, demonstrations took place near Nehru Park in the Hassanabad area and in the Gund Hassi Bhat locality, where protesters waved banners and chanted slogans backing Iran’s leadership. Similar protests were held at Main Chowk in Budgam in central Kashmir and in the Gangoo area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Speaking to reporters in Pulwama, a local Shia leader accused the US and Israel, along with their allies, of “committing atrocities against Muslims across the world,” echoing slogans raised during the demonstrations.

Anjuman-e-Sharie Shiyaan president Aga Syed Hassan Al-Mousvi Al-Safwee, who led one such rally in Srinagar, praised Iran’s Supreme Leader and criticised global powers. He accused major international institutions of failing to resolve conflicts through dialogue and alleged that powerful countries were undermining bodies meant to uphold global peace.

He also criticised the role of global powers in international conflicts, saying disputes should be resolved through mutual understanding and dialogue rather than force. Iran, he said, had resisted what he described as “oppression” by its adversaries. The rallies passed off peacefully, with no reports of violence or detentions. Police maintained a presence at some locations but did not intervene.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar