Islamabad, Brussels, (Unib Rashid) — A two-day exhibition of the photographic book “Kashmir: Wait and See” by renowned European photojournalist Cedric Gerbehaye was held in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The exhibition, hosted at the Prime Minister’s House, was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

The author, Cedric Gerbehaye, was present at the opening ceremony along with Ali Raza Syed, Chairman of the Kashmir Council EU, who is also the organizer of the book’s launch events and exhibitions in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. Members of a European delegation also attended, including Dutch human rights activist Marjan Lucas and Hungarian intellectual András Barks, alongside senior officials and prominent personalities from Azad Kashmir. A Korean delegation also visited the exhibition.

Prime Minister Faisal Rathore appreciated the publication of the book and commended the efforts of the author as well as Ali Raza Syed and his team for their role in bringing the project to fruition. He expressed hope that the book and its photographic exhibition would contribute positively to highlighting the rights of Kashmiris and the Kashmir issue at the international level. Former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan also visited the exhibition and met with the author and organizers, including Ali Raza Syed.

Earlier, Cedric Gerbehaye, Ali Raza Syed, other organizers, and members of the European delegation also met Acting President of Azad Kashmir Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

Cedric Gerbehaye, who hails from Belgium, completed the book over a period of eight years. It features an extensive collection of photographs from Indian-administered Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. The book includes powerful images of victims of Indian military actions, particularly those injured by pellet guns, as well as residents of areas near the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir who have been affected by unprovoked Indian shelling.

The book launch events and exhibition were also held earlier this week in Islamabad, where the exhibition took place at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). The Islamabad events were attended by a large number of political leaders, diplomats, social activists, academics, writers, and university students. In addition to highlighting human rights issues, the book also portrays the daily lives and cultural heritage of the people living across all regions of Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Kashmir Council EU played a key role from the inception to the completion of the book, as well as in organizing the related exhibitions and launch ceremonies. Participants at the events in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad described the initiative as an effective effort to raise global awareness about the Kashmir issue.

Ali Raza Syed, Chairman of the Kashmir Council EU, who is currently visiting Pakistan and Azad Kashmir in connection with these events, stated that the Council played a significant role in the preparation and publication of the book and in introducing it to audiences in both Europe and Pakistan.

According to the organizers, the exhibition will be held on February 1 and 2 at the University of Science and Technology, Mirpur (AJK), and from February 5 to 10 at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore.