India arrests civilian in Jammu, brands locals ‘foreigners’ to deny self-determination
Jammu: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) arrested an innocent Kashmiri civilian in Jammu district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in line with New Delhi’s propaganda of branding indigenous Kashmiris as “foreigners” to criminalize them and deny their historical and political right to self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the BSF personnel detained the unarmed civilian during a search operation near the Line of Control in RS Pura area on Sunday evening and shifted him to an interrogation centre under fabricated charges.
Locals stressed that people living on both sides of the Line of Control are genuine residents of Jammu and Kashmir who for centuries have shared kinship, cultural and trade ties, and therefore claim the right to move freely within the territory. However, India distorts such civilian movement as “cross-border terrorism” to justify its military occupation.
In numerous cases, Kashmiri villagers who inadvertently cross the LoC while grazing livestock or collecting medicinal herbs end up languishing in Indian jails for years without trial.
