Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, scores of people including students were injured in Sopore and Shopian areas, today, due to the use of brute force by Indian police and troops on peaceful protesters. The injured included girl students.
The students of degree college and schools in Sopore town staged massive demonstrations, today, against the arrest of students by Indian police across the territory during the past over two weeks. They raised high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. Indian police fired teargas shells and pellets to disperse the protesting students, injuring several of them. At least a dozen girl students fainted due to incessant teargas shelling. The police also arrested many students during the protests. The tense situation led to shutdown in the town. The students of Government Polytechnic College at Gogjibagh in Srinagar also held similar demonstrations.
People held forceful protests against a massive military operation by Indian forces’ personnel in around twenty villages of Shopian district late last night. The Indian Army used helicopters in the operation, which was launched after some unknown persons snatched away five rifles from Indian policemen deployed at district court complex in Shopian on Tuesday night. Several people sustained injuries in the forces’ actions on the protesters.
Meanwhile, the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, in a statement in Srinagar called for peaceful demonstrations, tomorrow, against the brutalities of Indian forces on students and civilian population in Sopore, Shopian and Badgam. Hurriyet leaders including Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Shabbir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Iqbal Mir and Muhammad Ahsaan Untoo and Jammate-e-Islami of the occupied territory in their statements denounced the use of force on protesting students and civilians by Indian men in uniform.
Hurriyet leaders, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, in an interview in Srinagar and Zafar Akbar Butt addressing public meetings in Badgam called for settling the Kashmir dispute through implementation of the UN resolutions.
Complete shutdown was observed in Aripanthan area of Badgam district, today, against the arrest of over a dozen youth by Indian police during house raids.
A court in Baramulla has extended the judicial remand of illegally detained senior APHC leader, Masarrat Aalam Butt, till 15th of this month.