Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of Hurriyet forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and other Hurriyet leaders have strongly condemned the killing of a civilian, Muhammad Yousuf Butt, by Indian troops at Panzgam in Kupwara.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement issued in Srinagar said that direct firing on protestors by Indian forces’ personnel depicted how the people were being subjected to state terrorism in occupied Kashmir. He said that the killing of unarmed civilians had become a routine in the occupied territory and there was no accountability for such war crimes perpetrated by the Indian men in uniform.
The Mirwaiz said that repeated ban and gag on means of communication and information in the Valley by the puppet authorities in the hope of restoring so-called peace and normalcy was ridiculous. He said that such measures were aimed at maintaining the status quo and avoiding resolution of the Kashmir dispute that was root cause of the uncertainty in the region for the past 70 years. He also denounced the arrest of Dukhtaran-e-Millat Aasiya Andrabi, and said that the action reflected the dictatorial policies of the Indian administration against the Kashmiris and their genuine leadership.
Hurriyet leaders including Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Zamruda Habib, Farida Bahenji, Musaddiq Aadil, Zafar Akbar Butt, Javaid Ahmad Mir, Shabbir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Imtiyaz Ahmad Reshi, Ghulam Nabi War, Muhammad Ramzan Khan and Khawaja Firdous Wani and human rights defenders, Abdul Qadeer Dar and Rauf Ahmed Khan, in their statements while condemning the target killing of the civilian said that the Indian forces under a well-hatched plan were committing genocide in occupied Kashmir to suppress the freedom sentiment of the Kashmiri people.
They said that the loss of innocent lives in occupied Kashmir on daily basis was a matter of serious concern. They deplored that India had no regards for the lives of Kashmiri people and was encouraging its forces to go on killing spree in the territory. They appealed to the world human rights bodies to impress upon New Delhi to stop its state terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
The leaders also strongly condemned the fresh arrest spree in the Kashmir Valley particularly the arrest of Hurriyet leaders and activists including Aasiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi, Riyaz Ahmed Sofi, M Yousuf Teli, M Shafi Dar, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Fayaz Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmed and demanded their immediate release.
