Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, scores of people were injured when Indian troops fired pellets, bullets and teargas shells on peaceful demonstrations in the territory.
Call for the demonstrations was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik to protest against Indian illegal occupation, killing of innocent civilians and other brutalities by Indian forces in the Kashmir Valley.
People took to the streets in Srinagar, Badgam, Islamabad, Bijbehara, Arwani, Kulgam, Kaimoh, Pulwama, Tral, Shopian, Baramulla, Sopore, Palhallan, Bandipore, Kupwara and other areas and shouted pro-Pakistan, pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. They also waved Pakistani flags. The demonstrations were led by Hurriyet leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifullah. Indian troops and police personnel subjected the demonstrators to brute force at various places injuring scores of them.
Meanwhile, the puppet authorities continued to place Syed Ali Gilani under house arrest to prevent him from leading the demonstrations. He was not even allowed to offer Juma prayers. The authorities also put Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house detention on his return from Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Thousands of people in Qaimoh and Qazigund areas, today, attended the funeral prayers of two youth who were martyred by Indian troops in Arwani area of Islamabad district, yesterday. Hurriyet leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Zafar Akbar Butt, Naheeda Nasreen, Muhammad Ramzan Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami of the occupied territory in their statements paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth. They also denounced the use of force on protesters by Indian forces’ personnel.
Normal life was affected in the Kashmir Valley, today, due to the shutdown against the brutalities of Indian police and troops in the territory.
On the other hand, a big march will be conducted towards the UN office at Sonawar in Srinagar on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day, tomorrow, to hand over a memorandum reminding the World Body that India continues to deny the Kashmiris their right to self-determination for the past over seven decades. Hurriyet leaders, Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Bilal Siddiqui, in their statements, today, deplored the silence of the international community over the worst kind of Indian state terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
In Brussels, speakers at a seminar in the European Parliament appealed to the world to take cognizance of the gross human rights violations perpetrated by Indian troops and police personnel in occupied Kashmir. The speakers included Members of European Parliament, Sajjad Karim, Raja Afzal Khan and Amjad Bashir, Chairman of Kashmir Centre European Union, Ali Raza Syed, and former Ambassador of European Union, Anthony Crasner.