IOK under siege on eve of India’s Republic Day
Srinagar, January 25 (KMS): Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world will observe Indian Republic Day, tomorrow, as Black Day in protest against India’s continued denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
The day will be marked with a complete strike in occupied Kashmir and anti-India demonstrations and rallies in world capitals. The Joint Resistance Leadership in a statement issued in Srinagar, today, urged people to hold peaceful demonstrations and rallies across the length and breadth of the territory after Friday prayers, tomorrow. They also appealed to imams and khateebs of mosques to highlight in their Friday sermons the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India.
On the other hand, the puppet authorities have put the entire occupied Kashmir under siege to ensure smooth conduct of Republic Day. Thousands of Indian troops and police personnel are engaged in frisking and checking of vehicles and passengers besides carrying out surprise raids.
At least five rounds of funeral prayers were held for each of the two martyred youth, Shakir Ahmad Mir and Sameer Wani at their ancestral villages in Shopian district. Seventeen-year-old Shakir Mir along with two other youth Sameer Wani and Firdous Ahmad were martyred by troops during a siege and search operation at Chaigund in Shopian district, yesterday. The martyrs were laid to rest amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The killing of the youth led to complete shutdown in twin districts of Shopian and Pulwama. All shops and business establishments were closed while traffic was off the road. The authorities suspended train service in south Kashmir.
Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in their joint statement paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth. The leaders said that India was eliminating Kashmiri youth under a well-meditated plan. Other Hurriyet leaders and organizations including Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Imtiaz Reshi, Ghulam Nabi War, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Muslim League, National Front, Tehreek-e-Mazahamat, Peoples Freedom League, Muslim Conference, Kashmir Tehreek-e-Khawateen, Mass Movement and JKLF-R in their separate statements also paid tributes to the martyred youth.
Meanwhile, complete shutdown was observed in Handwara, today, to mark the martyrdom anniversary of the victims of a deadly massacre in the town. Dozens of innocent Kashmiris were killed when BSF troops had opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators in Handwara on this day in 1990.
