Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed in Srinagar and other areas, today, to condemn the killing of innocent youth by Indian troops in fake encounters.
Call for the shutdown was given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and was supported by Hurriyat organizations including Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party. Shops and business establishments were shut in Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian, Islamabad and other areas of the occupied territory against the killings. Indian troops killed three innocent Kashmiri youth in a fake encounter in Lawaypora area of Srinagar on Wednesday. Earlier, in July last year, three youth from Rajouri area of Jammu were killed by the troops in a fake encounter at Amshipora in Shopian.
The occupation authorities imposed strict restrictions across the Kashmir Valley, today, to prevent people from staging demonstrations against the extrajudicial killing of the youth. However, despite restrictions, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League held an anti-India demonstration in Srinagar. The protesters were holding placards with slogans like ‘Stop innocent killings’, ‘Stop genocide and fake encounters’ and ‘Civilian killings unacceptable’. They also raised high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.
Meanwhile, a report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, today, revealed that Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 14 Kashmiris during the month of December in 2020. Of those martyred 5 youth were killed by the troops in fake encounters or in custody. The report said that during the month, 48 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force on peaceful demonstrators by Indian troops and police personnel in the territory. The report maintained that at least 198 civilians, mostly youth and political activists, were arrested. The troops also molested 2 women and damaged 9 houses during cordon and search operations in the month. The report pointed out that since the military siege imposed in IIOJK by Narendra Modi-led fascist government on August 05, 2019, Indian troops have martyred 305 Kashmiris including 7 women till date. It also added that in the last 32 years, Indian troops have martyred 95,723 Kashmiris including 7,155 in fake encounters and custody in the territory. The killings rendered 22,922 women widowed and 107,807 children orphaned in the period.
Indian police arrested the APHC leader and Information Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement, Abdul Rasheed Lone, after raiding his residence in Srinagar and shifted him to some unknown location. The police also arrested a youth, Aqif Ahmad Teli, from Awantipora area of Pulwama.
On the other hand, the APHC-AJK chapter staged a demonstration outside the National Press Club in Islamabad, today, to draw the attention of the world community towards the surge in the killing spree unleashed by Indian troops in IIOJK. Speaking on the occasion, the Hurriyat leaders deplored that India was committing systematic genocide of the Kashmiris to convert the Muslim majority of the territory into a minority. The International Forum for Justice and Human Rights also held a demonstration in front of press club in Muzaffarabad, today, against the killing of innocent youth by Indian troops in IIOJK.—KMS
