Arrest of youth triggers protest in Srinagar’s Shalimar area
Agha Hassan condemns youth’s arrest, says criminalizing public sentiments violates human rights
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), people staged a protest in the Shalimar area of Srinagar against the arrest of a youth by Indian forces.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the youth, identified as Arbaz Ali Butt, was arrested by troops during a raid on his home in the area the previous day on the grounds that he had expressed grief and participated in a protest following the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
The protesters termed the arrest of Arbaz Ali Butt unjust and arbitrary, demanding his immediate release and calling for respect for public sentiments.
Meanwhile, senior APHC leader and President of Anjuman Sharie Shian, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, in a statement issued in Srinagar, expressed serious concern over the arrest of the youth. He said that expressing love and devotion for one’s religious and spiritual leader is a natural and democratic right that cannot be suppressed through such actions.
He said that criminalising the expression of public sentiments and religious affiliation is not only regrettable but also a violation of fundamental human rights.
Agha Syed Hassan also termed the imposition of the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) on the youth as concerning, saying such measures create unrest and anxiety among the younger generation. He urged the authorities to ensure justice and release Arbaz Ali Butt immediately.
