Indian forces arrest five youth in IIOJK
Srinagar : Indian forces, in their fresh act of state terrorism, arrested five youths in Kishtwar and Shopian districts of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian police, during a cordon and search operation, arrested two persons, including a Forest Department employee in the Dachhan area of Kishtwar.
Police claimed that the two residents were involved in activities supporting Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and booked them under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police further alleged that the duo was facilitating and providing logistical support to pro-freedom activists.
Meanwhile, Indian forces detained three more youths during a search operation in the Pudsoo area of Shopian district. Police claimed that explosives and other incriminating material were recovered during the operation.
It is pertinent to mention that rights activists and political observers have repeatedly expressed concern over the misuse of draconian laws by Indian authorities to suppress dissent. Thousands of Kashmiris, including political activists, human rights defenders and youth, remain incarcerated in various jails in IIOJK and India under different pretexts.
Analysts say such arrests and detentions are part of the BJP-led Indian government’s broader strategy to maintain an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the occupied territory in an attempt to silence pro-freedom voices and weaken the Kashmiris’ ongoing struggle for their UN-recognized right to self-determination.
