Srinagar, June 23 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, Jumat-ul-Wida, today, was observed as the Day of Quds and Kashmir to impress upon the international community to come forward in a big way to help the peoples of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir in securing their inalienable right to self-determination.
The day was marked by forceful anti-India and anti-Israel demonstrations in all major towns of the occupied territory on the call given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. The demonstrations were also aimed at protesting against the killing of Kashmiri youth by Indian troops.
Despite restrictions, people held forceful demonstrations and big rallies in Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Islamabad, Bijbehara, Arwani, Kulgam, Pampore, Shopian, Pulwama, Baramulla, Sopore, Pattan, Hajin, Bandipora, Kupwara and other areas. Muhammad Yasin Malik led a mammoth rally at Charar-e-Sharif in Badgam. Other rallies and protests were led by Hurriyet leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Noor Muhammad Kalwal and Masroor Abbas. The participants carried placards reading anti-Israel and anti-India slogans. Pro-freedom slogans were raised and Pakistani flag was hoisted on the occasion. Indian police fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters in many areas, causing injuries to several of them. Resolutions supporting the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir and Palestine were passed in many mosques of the territory. Complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama, Kakapora, Awantipora, Tral and other adjacent areas to mourn the death of the youth who were killed by Indian troops yesterday. Funeral prayers in absentia for the martyrs were held at Ajas in Bandipora and other areas of the occupied territory.
Meanwhile, the puppet authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar and other areas of the Kashmir Valley to prevent people from holding protests and rallies. The historic Srinagar Jamia Masjid was sealed and the people were not allowed to offer Juma prayers. The authorities had put all Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza and Zafar Akbar Butt under house arrest or in custody. The leaders in their statements strongly denounced the killing spree unleashed by Indian forces’ personnel across the occupied territory. They said that the graph of civilian killings in the territory had risen after the recent threat statements by Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat.
In India, a police complaint has been lodged against some Kashmiri students at a dental college in Meerut city of Uttar Pradesh for shouting pro-Pakistan slogans after Pakistan’s victory against India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.
