Pro-Iran Rallies Held in Kashmir and Kargil After Friday Prayers
SRINAGAR / KARGIL: Pro-Iran regime rallies were held across parts of the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh’s Kargil region on Friday (January 16, 2026), as worshippers took to the streets after congregational prayers to express solidarity with Iran’s leadership amid ongoing international criticism and domestic unrest in the country.
In central Kashmir’s Budgam, a major rally was organised after Friday prayers, with participants marching from the Imambara in Budgam to the main chowk. Protesters raised anti-US and anti-Israel slogans and carried posters of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late leader Ruhollah Khomeini. The rally reflected support for the Iranian regime, which has been facing sustained protests within Iran for several weeks.
Prominent Shia cleric Aga Syed Hassan, who heads the Anjuman-e-Shari Shia Budgam, participated in the rally along with several other religious leaders. Addressing the gathering, he urged restraint in international reporting and warned against further escalation. He said global media organisations should report facts from Iran, adding that disturbances had been curbed and peace restored, according to his assessment.
The demonstrations in Kashmir drew political reactions as well. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the protests, saying they reflected public opposition to what she described as global injustice. She criticised the United States for “routinely attacking countries in the name of restoring democracy while exploiting their natural resources.”
Mufti said it was encouraging to see people in Kashmir voicing support for Iran and added that similar protests should have taken place elsewhere in India. She also noted that Iran had historically been a close friend of India, while claiming that the relationship had changed due to policies pursued by the BJP-led government.
Meanwhile, in Ladakh’s Kargil district, hundreds of worshippers held rallies in multiple towns, including Kargil town, Sankoo and Drass, despite sub-zero temperatures. The protesters condemned the United States and Israel while expressing support for Iran’s leadership and political system.
Sajjad Kargili, a local leader from Kargil, said people in the region had shown “unequivocal and unwavering solidarity” with Iran’s Supreme Leader and the Islamic Revolutionary system. He said the turnout and participation demonstrated deep public sentiment, even in harsh weather conditions. According to him, the protests conveyed a clear message that ideological resistance could not be silenced by external pressure.
The rallies in Kashmir and Kargil come at a time when Iran remains under intense global scrutiny over its internal situation, with reactions playing out not just diplomatically but also on the streets of regions with historical and religious ties to the country.
Our Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
The pro-Iran rallies in Kashmir and Kargil highlight how international geopolitical crises often resonate deeply at the local level, shaped by history, faith, and political perception. While opinions on Iran’s internal situation remain sharply divided globally, these demonstrations underline that global conflicts are no longer confined to diplomatic corridors. For India, such protests also reflect the complex intersection of foreign policy, regional sentiment, and domestic political narratives, reminding policymakers that global events can quickly find echoes on home ground.