Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the re-polling at thirty eight polling stations in Srinagar constituency was marked by a total boycott, curfew, restrictions and complete shutdown.
No vote was cast at many polling stations including Bagh-e-Mehtab in Srinagar and Repora, Chrar-e-Shareef, Khansahib and Galwanpora in Badgam district. Officials confirmed that 519 votes out of around 35,000 were cast at 38 polling stations in the constituency during today’s re-polling. Out of 7,106 votes, only three votes were polled in Badgam until the filing of the report. The eyewitnesses said that at many places non-Kashmiris were seen casting votes with the security of Indian troops. Polling booths wore a deserted look as no vote was polled at many polling stations.
Meanwhile, a march towards Bagdam will be held, tomorrow, to express solidarity with the families of the eight Kashmiri shot dead by Indian troops during polling for sham Indian parliamentary elections on Sunday. Call for the march has been given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. The participants of the march will offer Friday prayers in Badgam town.
Hurriyet leaders Shabbir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Iqbal Mir and Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, today visited Ganderbal and Badgam areas to express solidarity with the families of martyrs. Another delegation led by Ghulam Nabi Zaki visited the family members of a martyr, Omar Farooq Ganai in Gandarbal.
Senior Hurriyet leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah in a statement issued in Srinagar strongly condemned the assertions made by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh, terming them as frustration of Indian leaders. Rajnath Singh while speaking at a function in Mumbai gave an unveiled threat to Kashmiris, saying that one would see a transformed Kashmir in a year no matter how the change would take place. The threat is perceived by many as the Indian plan to carry out a systematic genocide of Kashmiri youth, protesting against illegal occupation of India over Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand, complete shutdown was observed in Tral and other areas of Pulwama district on the second martyrdom anniversary of Khalid Muzaffar Wani, the brother of martyred Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani. Clashes were reported between protesters and Indian forces in Tral town. Twenty-five-year-old Khalid Wani, who was pursuing Masters degree in Political Science, was killed by Indian army on this day in 2015. Strike was also held in Doda district today, against the killings in the Valley.
The students of Post Graduate College, Rajouri, staged forceful protests against the continued killing of civilians by Indian troops in the territory. They raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.