Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, massive protests were held in Handwara area of Kupwara district, today, against the abduction and subsequent killing of a local youth in a fake encounter by Indian troops.
The youth, identified as Shahid Ahmad Mir was killed in Hafrada area of the town. The father of the victim said that his son was picked up by troops in a military vehicle and was later killed after being dubbed as a militant. However, police confirmed that Shahid Ahmad Mir was a civilian, who was killed in a fake encounter. People placed the body of the youth in the middle of Handwara Chowk in protest and demanded registration of an FIR against the troops involved in the killing.
The agitation turned violent when protesters torched one vehicle and damaged two others of the Kupwara district administration. Many protesters were injured when Indian forces’ personnel used teargas shells and fired pellets on them. At least, three including a girl suffered pellet injuries. The killing of Shahid led to complete shutdown in Handwara and Kupwara areas of north Kashmir.
Peaceful protest demonstrations will be held across the territory by Kashmir Bar association, tomorrow, against Indian conspiracies to abrogate Article 35A of the Indian constitution. Call for the protests has been given by the joint resistance leadership.
Meanwhile, students of Girls Higher Secondary school Tral staged a protest demonstration in the town, today, against the school administration for forcibly sending them to district police lines, Awantipora, to participate in a sports event.
The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, in a statement in Srinagar denounced the attack on illegally detained senior APHC leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, in Delhi. He warned that the responsibility of the worsening in situation would lie on the shoulders of Indian rulers if any harm was inflicted to any of the Kashmiri prisoners languishing in Indian jails.
Police disallowed the scheduled press conference of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party at its Sanat Nagar headquarters in Srinagar and arrested party’s General Secretary, Muhammad Abdullah Tari.
On the other hand, speakers at a function held in Islamabad, today, in connection with the death anniversary of noted Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Mushtaq Ahmed Wani called upon the international community to stop India from detaining Hurriyat leaders and committing other human rights violations in the occupied territory. Those who addressed the event included former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Sheikh Tajammul-ul-Islam, Ghulam Mohammad Safi, Manzoorul Haq Butt, Ms Shamim Shawl, Advocate Pervez Ahmad, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, Abdul Majeed Malik, Bashir Usmani and Syed Faiz Naqshbandi.