Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown, marked by forceful anti-India demonstrations, was observed, today, against India’s move of issuing domicile certificates to non-Kashmiri Hindu refugees to change the demographic composition of the territory.
Call for the shutdown and holding of demonstrations was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Syed Ali Gilani, and Hurriyet leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. All shops and business establishments remained closed while traffic was off the road in response to the strike.
People took to the streets in Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Islamabad, Pulwama, Tral, Shopian, Baramulla, Pattan, Palhallan, Sopore, Kupwara, Bandipora and other areas and shouted pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. They also waved Pakistani flags. The demonstrators were led by Hurriyet leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Raja Merajuddin Kalwal. Indian police resorted to teargas shelling and lathi-charge to disperse the protesters in different areas, injuring several people. The police arrested Muhammad Yasin Malik when he tried to march towards Lal Chowk along with his supporters after offering Juma prayers in the mosque of Dastgeer Sahib (RA) in Sara-e-Bala area of Srinagar.
The puppet authorities continued to place Syed Ali Gilani, Aasiya Andrabi and Javed Ahmed Mir under house arrest to stop them from leading the demonstrations. Indian police took into custody the Member of so-called Kashmir Assembly, Engineer Abdur Rasheed, when he was staging a sit-in protest, today, outside the residence of puppet Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, in Srinagar against the issuance of domicile certificates to the refugees.
Resistance leaders including Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Hakeem Abdul Rasheed, Zafar Akbar Butt, Farooq Tawheedi and Jamaat-e-Islami of occupied Kashmir in their addresses to gatherings and statements said that Kashmiris would frustrate each and every anti-Kashmir move of India.
The Chairperson of Kashmir Tehreek-e-Khawateen, Zamruda Habib, talking to a delegation of Indian civil society that met her in Srinagar said that the Kashmiri people were continuing the struggle to secure their inalienable right to self-determination.
In Birmingham, speakers at a function organized by the Kashmir Concern, UK, expressed serious concern over Indian brutalities on the people of occupied Kashmir. The speakers included Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, Zakirullah Fazal Ahmed Qadri, Fahim Kiyani, Chudhry Khadim Hussain and Mohammad Ghalib
