Fear and terror grip IIOJK as fake encounters, arrests persist: Mirwaiz
‘Peace can’t be forced’, senior APHC leader warns at Friday congregation
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed deep concern over the ongoing killing of innocent youth in fake encounters and arrests under draconian laws by Indian forces, urging an immediate halt to such actions and accountability for the perpetrators.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz highlighted the distressing killing of a Kashmiri youth, Rashid Ahmad Mughal, in a staged encounter in Arhama area of Ganderbal district. He said that the incident had caused concern.
He cited the family of the martyred youth, who said that he was a part-time computer operator with no links to militancy, yet he was picked up and killed in cold-blood. The Mirwaiz added that the grieving family of the youth is seeking justice through an impartial investigation. “We can only hope that justice is done, though past experiences do not inspire confidence,” noting the bitter reality that perpetrators of such crimes have rarely been punished.
The Mirwaiz also criticized the denial of the body to the family for burial, terming it “inhuman and condemnable.”
He further said that frequent cases, chargesheets and arrests involving Kashmiris by multiple agencies, including the NIA, SIA, CIK, and Cyber Cell, contribute to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
He also referred to dismissals of government employees, stating that such actions, without judicial recourse, add to concerns among the public.
“This creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and reinforces the narrative that portrays an entire people as dangerous and suspect,” he said, adding that such measures cannot lead to sustainable peace or progress in the occupied territory.
Mirwaiz further said that he was addressing the congregation at Jamia Masjid after a long time, as access to the central place of worship for the Muslims of Kashmir is repeatedly restricted at the will of authorities. He noted that even Eid prayers and many Fridays during Ramadan, including the sacred night of Shab-e-Qadr and Juma-tul-Vida, were denied, terming it a serious violation of religious rights.
“Such repeated restrictions are not just about closing a mosque, they speak of the larger reality, where normalcy is proclaimed while people’s fundamental rights are curtailed through bans, bars and censorship. Unfortunately the harassment of Kashmiris is unceasing,” Mirwaiz said.
