Srinagar : A peaceful protest demonstration, organized by the Joint Resistance Leadership, was held in Srinagar, today, to condemn the killings and cordon and search operations carried out by Indian forces in Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Islamabad districts.
According to KMS, the protest was held at Hyderpora, and was attended by resistance leaders including Bashir Kashmiri, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Imtiaz Haider, Omar Aadil Dar, Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Mukhtar Sofi and Advocate Yasir Ahmad.
The Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in a statement in Srinagar referring to Delhi High Court’s report on the ill-treatment of the detainees lodged in Tihar jail expressed concern about the safety of the inmates. A three-member committee, constituted by Delhi High Court, in its report had said that the prisoners lodged in the infamous jail were living under constant fear of getting killed on one pretext or the other. The report mentioned that in November, Shahid Yousuf, the son of Syed Salahuddin, was hit on his head many times until he started bleeding. Four other Kashmiris were also tortured and thrashed by police.
Meanwhile, complete shutdown was observed on the sixth consecutive day, today, in Shopian district against the recent civilian killings. Contingents of forces were deployed at sensitive places in the district to prevent protests. Mobile Internet service remained suspended in Shopian and Pulwama districts. APHC leaders Muhammad Yousuf Naqash and Davinder Singh visited the district to express solidarity with the families of martyrs.
Indian forces launched a cordon and search operation in Samboora area of Pulwama. The troops surrounded the area and conducted house-to-house searches. APHC Chairman Syed Ali Gilani in his statement condemned the re-invoking of draconian law, Public Safety Act, against Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leaders and activists including Abdul Ghani Butt, Abdul Subhan Wani, Muhammad Afzal Butt and Zafar-ul-Islam. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement termed the constitution of a so-called body by the authorities to probe Shopian killings as nothing but mere eyewash.
Various Hurriyat leaders in their statements paid glowing tributes to the 7th class student, Wamiq Farooq, on his martyrdom anniversary. Wamiq was killed when a teargas shell fired by the Indian police hit him in Srinagar on this day in 2010.
On the other hand, the Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Personal Law Board and Deputy Grand Mufti, Nasir-ul-Islam in a press conference in Srinagar said, it is time for the Muslims in India to demand a separate country within India. He said that New Delhi was moving on the path ofintolerance, and the Muslims were being harassed on various pretexts in India.
