Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have welcomed the UN rights chief, Michelle Bachelet’s remarks on the failure of India to take meaningful steps for protection of human rights in Kashmir.
Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar expressed the hope that the newly-appointed UN rights chief would fulfill the obligations of the world body to protect civil and political rights of the people of Kashmir. He demanded a probe by the UN team into the heinous war crimes perpetrated by the Indian forces in occupied Kashmir. Gilani said that the gruesome murder of APHC activist, Hakeem-ur-Rehman, custodial killing of Ashfaq Ahmed Wani and the target killing of PhD scholar Abdul Ahad Ganai by the mercenaries of Indian forces were the fresh examples of human rights violations in the territory.
The Chairman of Hurriyat forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in his statement hoped that the office of UN rights chief would continue to monitor the grave human rights abuses in the occupied territory.
Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of martyred youth, Furqan, Liaqat and PhD scholar Abdul Ahad Ganai in their native areas in Langate, Sopore and Lolab areas of the territory. Furqan and Liaqat were martyred by the troops during a cordon and search operation at Guloora in Handwara while Abdul Ahad Ganai was shot dead by troops in disguise at Khanyar in Srinagar.
The killings triggered complete shutdown in Handwara, Langate and other areas of Kupwara district. All shops and business establishments were closed while public transport was off the roads. The authorities suspended class work at schools and colleges to stop students from holding protests.
The troops launched cordon-and-search-operations in Tral, Rajouri and Jajjar Kotli areas along Jammu-Srinagar highway. Earlier, a Central Reserve Police Force man was injured in an attack in Jajjar Kotli area of the Jammu region.
Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmad Dar and Farida Behanji in their separate statements in Srinagar expressed condolence over the demise of Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
Meanwhile, global human rights watchdog, the Amnesty International, has said that the intimidation, harassment and detention of journalists by the Indian state have threatened norms of basic freedom of expression in occupied Kashmir. Amnesty International India senior campaigner, Zahoor Wani, in a statement said the Amnesty International believes the charges against detained Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan are fabricated and politically motivated, and are part of an attempt to stifle freedom of expression in Kashmir.
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