In occupied Kashmir, several people were injured, today, as Indian troops and police used brute force at different places on peaceful demonstrators protesting against the killing of youth.
People took to the streets in Islamabad, Pulwama, Badgam and other areas and staged forceful anti-India demonstrations. Indian police and troops fired pellets and teargas shells to disperse the protesters, triggering clashes between the demonstrators and the forces’ personnel. Several people were injured in the forces’ action.
Call for the holding of demonstrations was given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference as part of its protest calendar to condemn the wanton killing of Kashmiri youth and to express solidarity with the families of the martyrs.
Senior Hurriyat leader, Professor Abdul Ghani Butt, in a statement in Srinagar said Pakistan and India are two nuclear-armed countries of the south Asian region and tension between them can take an ugly turn. He maintained that Kashmir is the basic issue between the two countries and keeping it unresolved would not be the victory or defeat of any of the two neighbours. He said that an acceptable, lasting and honouable settlement of this lingering dispute would be the victory of all.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference and other pro-freedom leaders and organizations including Javaid Ahmed Mir in their statements deplored that the massacre of Kashmiris continued as Indian troops were targeting innocent youth to suppress the ongoing Kashmir freedom movement. They strongly denounced cold-blooded murder of an innocent youth, Merajuddin Shah, by the troops in Kawoosa Narbal area of Badgam district. A report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, today, said that Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 11 Kashmiris in the ongoing month of May. The members of Jammu and Kashmir Youth Social Forum at a meeting in Srinagar, today, paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth.
Indian troops continued their violent cordon and search operations in Srinagar, Badgam, Kangan, Islamabad, Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora, Hajin, Kupwara, Handwara, Sopore, Baramulla, Rafiabad, Pattan, Doda, Kishtwar and other areas of the occupied territory. The residents of these areas told media that the troops have made their life a living hell.
On the other hand, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League at a meeting held through video link strongly denounced the Indian troops’ atrocities including killing, arrests, and destruction of properties during the so-called cordon and search operations in occupied Kashmir. The meeting was presided over by JKPL Vice Chairman, Syed Aijaz Rahmani, and participated among others by party leaders Molvi Ahmed Rathar, Ahmed Sheikh, Engineer Fayaz, Pervez Ahmed, Shabbir Ahmed, Molvi Rafique and Bilal Ahmed.
