- Scores injured in clashes across Kashmir
- JKLF Holds Sit In At Lal Chowk
- Hurriyat (G) Stages Protest In Old City, Hyderpora
- People Offer Funeral Prayers-In-Absentia For Pakistan Blast Victims
At least ten youth were injured in clashes with the government forces across Kashmir after Friday congregational prayers while as resistance leaders staged protests at different places.
Witnesses said that soon after the congregational prayers concluded at the historic Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar’s Nowhatta area, scores of youth took to the streets and hurled bricks and stones at the force personnel, who retaliated with teargas shells and baton charge, triggering massive clashes. “Police and paramilitary men fired dozens of tear gas shells at the protesters, who refused to budge,” they said.
Witnesses said that within no time the clashes spilled over to adjoining areas, including Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Bohri Kadal, Gojwara and Hawal. “At least seven youth sustained mild injuries in the forces action. Clashes were also going on in these areas till late in the evening,” witnesses said. “Today’s protest is a message to everyone that we will continue to march towards encounter sites,” a group of masked youth said at Nowhatta in old city.
Joint Protest At Jama Masjid Hyderpora
“As per the joint programme of resistance camp, leaders and workers of various resistance groups staged a peaceful protest at different places, Hurriyat Conference (G) leaders staged demonstrations outside the historic Jamia Masjid in old city and outside Jamia Masjid at Hyderpora in uptown here was held in which Peer Saifullah, Muhammad Yusuf Mujtahid, Abdul Hamid Magrey, Syed Imtiyaz Hyder, Zahoor ul Haq, Nisar Ahmad, Arshid Ahmad and Gazi Javed participated. Peer Saif Ullah and Ab Hamid Magrey in a brief address to gathering while castigating PDP led coalition said the situation has turned from bad to worse and killing graph has gone up,” the Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar said.
Witnesses said that JKLF leaders and activists staged a protest at Budshah Chowk in Srinagar.
According to a JKLF spokesman, the protest sit-in and rally was organized against the recent upsurge in civilian killings by forces and the recent statement of Army Chief Bipin Rawat. Prior to the protest rally and sit-in, funeral prayer in absentia were held for the victims of recent attacks in Pakistan. JKLF leaders Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Siraj Ud din Mir, Muhammad Yasin Butt, Muhammad Sideeq Shah and others participated in the protest sit in and rally.
Reports of protests and clashes also poured in from Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla. Soon after Friday congregational prayers hundreds of youth assembled near Jamia Masjid area of town and started shouting pro-freedom slogans. Reports said that a large gathering of youth starting stone pelting on forces that were deployed near main bazaar and main Chowk areas. Forces retaliated by lobbing tear smoke canisters to disperse the agitated youth in which three youth received mild injuries. However, the youth refused to disperse. Clashes were on till late evening, reports said.
Reports from south Kashmir said that massive protest demonstrations were held on Friday at Frisal in this south Kashmir district to express solidarity with four Hizb militants who were killed during an encounter with government forces on Sunday. Protest was also held against the killing of a house owner allegedly tortured to death by forces and one more civilian killed in protests that followed. Reports said as soon as the Friday prayers concluded people in large numbers assembled outside mosques and carried massive pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations. “People were also shouting pro-Pakistan and pro-militant slogans,” witnesses said. Four Hizb militants all from different villages of Kulgam district were killed in a 12-hour long fierce overnight gunfight with forces on Sunday in Frisal village of Kulgam. Two army personals also got killed while three others were injured in the ensuing gunfight which ended after the house was blown up by forces by planting IEDs and thus completely raising it to ground. Reports from Pulwama district said that intense clashes broke out after Friday prayers at Pulwama town with forces firing dozens of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
Army Chief’s Statement Open Intimidation : Yasin Malik
JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik while condemning the recent attacks on civilians in which many people got killed and dozens injured, said that people of J&K have been striving for their freedom and their sentiments are well known. “Because overwhelming majority of Kashmiris stands with the cause of freedom therefore recent statements by the Army chief are actually a direct threat to all Kashmiris,” Malik said.
He said in 1990 when entire Kashmir was on roads, demanding freedom in a peaceful manner, it were armed forces and their “perpetrated massacres” that provoked thousands of Kashmiris to join armed struggle. “Today, Army chief, and other officials are issuing threatening statements and I believe they want to repeat the same history and push thousands of peaceful resistance lovers towards armed struggle which indicates there immature,” Malik said.
JKLF chairman said that showering bullets and pellets on civil population or peaceful protestors’ amounts to state “sponsored extremism.” And recent assertions of Indian leadership are actually promoting “violence and cruelty” which are highly condemnable.
