Atmosphere of fear continues amid military siege
Srinagar, January 03 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Imam of Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, Syed Ahmed Naqshbandi, has appealed to the Kashmiri people particularly religious scholars to hold demonstrations against the continued lockdown imposed by the Indian authorities.
The Imam addressing the Juma congregation at the historic mosque, today, strongly condemned the detentions and house arrests of Hurriyat leaders, activists and youth. He said that the occupation authorities had created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Nowhatta area of Srinagar by deploying heavy contingents of Indian troops around the Jamia Masjid and monitoring the movement of people through drone cameras. He said that the actions were aimed at ending the centrality of the mosque and harass the general mass.
Meanwhile, an atmosphere of fear continued to prevail in the Kashmir Valley and Muslim majority areas of Jammu and Ladakh regions due to unrelenting lockdown, which remained enforced on 152nd consecutive day, today. There is no let up in the restrictions imposed under Section 144 while prepaid cellular networks are shut and text messaging service continues to remain suspended in the Kashmir Valley. Thousands of Indian troops deployed in every nook and corner of the valley have made the life of the residents a hell.
The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League leaders, Nisar Ahmed, Molvi Rafique, Manzoor Ahmed and Aadil Farooq, addressing separate public gatherings in different parts of South Kashmir, today, said that despite Indian state terrorism, the people of occupied Kashmir would continue their liberation struggle till they achieved their right to self-determination.
The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, in a statement in Islamabad urged the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, to take steps to implement the resolutions of the World Body to settle the lingering Kashmir dispute.
On the other hand, four Indian soldiers, including a lieutenant, were critically injured in a landmine blast in Nowshera area of Rajouri district.
