Shutdown in IOK, Hurriyat leaders detained
Srinagar, January 26 (KMS): Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world observed Indian Republic Day, today, as Black Day to convey to the world that India is not a true democratic country as it has usurped the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people for the past over seven decades.
The day was marked with complete shutdown in occupied Kashmir, call for which was given by the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. The resistance leaders had also called for peaceful protests and rallies across the occupied territory after Friday prayers, today, against the civilian killings, indiscriminate firing and use of pellets besides ransacking of properties by the Indian forces’ personnel.
The puppet authorities had put the entire occupied Kashmir especially Srinagar and Jammu under siege. Indian troops and police personnel were deployed in strength in every nook and corner of the occupied territory, causing huge inconvenience to the people. The forces’ personnel conducted frisking and checking of vehicles and passengers in Srinagar and other major towns besides carrying out surprise raids in different areas. The authorities also placed Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Asiya Andrabi and Hilal Ahmed War under house arrest or in custody to prevent them from leading the anti-India demonstrations. The authorities sealed the Jamia Masjid Srinagar and disallowed people from offering Juma prayers while mobile internet services across the occupied territory were suspended.
Hurriyat leaders and organizations including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Hilal Ahmed War, Jamaat-e-Islami of occupied Kashmir, Muslim League and Muslim Conference in their statements strongly denounced the killing of a teenage boy, Shakir Ahmed, and two other youth by Indian troops in Shopian.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement, Zafar Akbar Butt, visited Hiranagar area of Hindu-dominated Kathua district of Jammu region and participated in a protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, Aasifa. The Chairman of All Tribal Coordination Committee, Talib Hussain, addressing a press conference in Jammu said that the authorities were shielding the real culprits of the rape and murder of the minor girl. Indian troops used brute force to disperse protests against the occupation authorities.
The Chairman of International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, in a statement in Srinagar demanded that the Indian troops involved in a deadly massacre in Kupwara in 1994 be brought to book. The troops had mercilessly killed twenty-seven innocent Kashmiris on 27th January in 1994 for observing shutdown on Indian Republic Day, the 26th January, in the town.
In Islamabad, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter and the Occupied Kashmir Journalist Association staged demonstrations to condemn the Indian state terrorism in occupied Kashmir. A large number of people took out a rally from Super Marked to the National Press Club to draw attention of the world community towards the Indian brutalities in the occupied territory. The rally was led by Kashmiri leaders, Mushal Hussain Malik and Abdul Hameed Lone.
