- Trouble makers to be dealt with strictly: Mehbooba Mufti
- Forces wreak havoc in Pulwama village after barging into residential houses
- Freedom rallies held across South Kashmir despite rains
- Tear-gas shell hits boy at Bandipora
- Mirwaiz detained ahead of Eidgah march, released later
With no let-up in clashes and protests, at least 30 people including a woman sustained injuries across Kashmir on Thursday while forces “wreaked havoc” in Prichoo village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district by damaging residential houses and household goods. Reports of damage to residential houses by forces also poured in from North Kashmir’s Sopore area. Stringent curfew remained in place in old Srinagar areas and almost all major towns across Kashmir. Amid rain, several pro-freedom rallies were held in South Kashmir villages, reports and witnesses said.
South Kashmir
Stringent curfew was clamped in Pulwama district following killing of 18-year-old youth by forces on Wednesday. Forces wreaked havoc in Prichoo village by vandalizing property and thrashing inmates, local residents told Kashmir Post. Curfew also remained in place in all major towns of South Kashmir even as pro-freedom rallies were held in many peripheral pockets.
In Pulwama town and adjoining villages, police and paramilitary forces armed with sophisticated weapons were deployed in strength to thwart attempts of protests. The forces had laid spools of concertina wire, erected barricades and also placed armoured vehicles and mobile bunkers at several places. Nobody was allowed to venture out of their houses. Whosoever tried to do so was beaten to pulp, locals said.
They said even ambulances were not allowed to move and curfew passes were not adhered to by forces on ground.
Meanwhile, CRPF and SOG men let loose a reign of terror in Prichoo village, forcing people to abandon their houses and take shelter in neighbouring villages. The highhandedness comes day after forces foiled a pro-freedom rally in the area by vandalizing the venue, evoking massive protests in entire Pulwama.
“The government forces barged into our houses, vandalized and looted the property and thrashed the inmates,” locals told Kashmir Post over phone.
They said forces even damaged household items—refrigerators, washing-machines and even threw out eatables. “We have abandoned our houses and taken shelter at our relatives’ houses in nearby villages,” said the terrified villagers.
The residents of Tahab village alleged a patrolling party of CRPF resorted to aerial firing during midnight, triggering panic in the area.
Meanwhile, despite forces foiling the rallies by vandalizing venues, the freedom congregations continued in South Kashmir areas. The rallies have become a norm during the ongoing anti-India uprising triggered by the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani on July 8. At least 100 such rallies have been so far held in South Kashmir areas where religious scholars of various sects and local pro-freedom activists have been the key speakers.
In Shopian district, pro-freedom rallies were held in Gadapora, Rebban Khujipora and Kadigam-Imam Sahib while in Pulwama, these were organized in Achan and Pachar areas.
Similar rallies were held in Nowpora-Kellam in Kulgam district.
A rally was also organized in Kehribal village of Mattan in Anantnag district which was addressed by Democratic Freedom Party leader, Er Farooq Khan, Tehreek-I-Hurriyat Tehsil president Shangus, Muhmamad Shafi Wagay and religious clerics of various sects. Religious leaders of Sikh community also addressed the rally which saw participation of many Sikhs as well.
Reports of clashes were received from Qazigund area of Anantnag district. A truck driver sustained injuries during these clashes. Meanwhile, curfew continued in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Pampore towns for 47th running day.
Clashes erupted in old town areas of Anantnag and Khanabal late in the evening. Police carried out several overnight raids in the town, rounding up several youth. Similar reports were received from other areas of South Kashmir.
On the call of joint resistance leadership, pro-freedom and anti-India slogans were written on walls and streets of South Kashmir.
Late evening reports said intense clashes were going on in Bijbehara while protests were held in various villages of Pulwama.
Reports said Army patrolled the streets of Shopian and some areas of Pulwama.
North Kashmir
A youth was injured after he was hit by a tear-gas shell fired by forces in Bandipora area. Witnesses said clashes broke out in Qazipora area of Bandipora when youth were holding a protest rally and forces fired tear-gas shells to disperse them. The injured youth has been identified as Asif Ahmed Sheikh of Qazipora. He has been shifted to Sub District Hospital Bandipora.
Earlier, clashes erupted in Kaloosa area when youth tried to hold a protest rally against the civilian killings in Kashmir. However, a huge posse of police and paramilitary forces intercepted them and fired several tear smoke shells. The clashes were going on in the area when last reports came in.
In Hanjiveera, Pattan in Baramulla district, locals alleged that police resorted to intense tear-gas shelling, injuring dozens of persons especially those who were spending time on shop-fronts. “The area was peaceful. Some youth were present on shop-fronts. Police arrived and fired tear-smoke shells on them, injuring dozens. This is a move to instigate people for protests,” the locals said.
Reports from Sopore said at least 12 people include a woman sustained pellet and tear gas shell injuries at Zainageer, Warpora, Hathlangoo and Dangerpora villages when forces resorted to unprovoked firing on peaceful protestors.
Reports said forces also damaged windowpanes of a local masjid at Najar Mohalla, Dangerpora.
Locals of Sopore also castigated BSNL authorities for snapping mobile and broadband services in the area for the past four days.
Reports from Kupwara district suggested the town witnessed strict curfew while protests broke out in Kuligam, Lolab. Locals alleged army broke windowpanes of many residential houses in Kuligam triggering protests. Clashes were also witnessed in Kurhama village. BSNL broadband services stand snapped in the area for three days.
Srinagar
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was detained this evening ahead of the Eidgah chalo call given by the joint resistance leadership for Friday. Reports said a massive protest rally was held from Jamia Masjid in the evening against the desecration of the grand mosque 27 years ago.
Mirwaiz was supposed to address the gathering over phone after Maghrib prayers. However, he was detained well before people assembled at the Jamia Masjid and lodged in police station Nigeen. He was released later only to be put under house-detention again.
Meanwhile, reports said intense clashes were going on between forces and youth at Lawaypora, Narbal, HMT and Qamarwari.
Reports of clashes also poured in from areas that include Nowgam, Lasjan, Peerbagh, Hyderpora, Barzulla, and Rambagh.
Central Kashmir
Reports said a candlelight march was held in Charar-e-Sharief, while raids by forces were witnessed in various areas that include Nagam, Mazhama and Chara-e-Sharief. Reports of clashes came in from Kangan market while a youth was detained at Nunner Ganderbal, triggering protests.
Reports said authorities enforced strict night curfew across the district.
Police Version
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters, Kashmir, six incidents of stone pelting were reported from Srinagar, Sopore, Kupwara and Bandipora on Thursday. “These incidents were reported from Lawaypora in Srinagar, Hatlangoo; Warpora in Sopore, Khurhama in Kupwara, Watpora; Kaloosa in Bandipora,” the statement said.
It said apart from these incidents, “overall situation remained under control across and valley till filing of this report.”
The statement read that following “improvement” in the situation, “increased movement of vehicular traffic and people was observed in most parts of Kashmir including Srinagar city.”
“However, curfew remained in force under the areas of few Police stations of Srinagar, town Anantnag, Pulwama and Pampore,” it said.
‘Had a kid gone to buy a toffee from an army camp and had a 15-year-old boy gone to buy milk from police station in south Kashmir’
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, Thursday said 5 per cent people, who are creating trouble in the Valley, would be dealt with strictly and said present situation in the Valley can’t be compared with 2010 unrest.
In her first interaction with media today after the unrest broke on July 8, Mehbooba said only 5 percent of the population in Valley was creating trouble while 95 percent people want peace.
“95 per cent people want that Kashmir should be resolved peacefully. They don’t want to pelt stones and don’t want to attack camps and establishments. They want the resolution of the problem through dialogue,” she said.
Mehbooba, who took over as Chief Minister of the State on April 4 this year, stressed on making a distinction between “those people who want dialogue with the government and those who want to exploit the children.”
She said the Home Minister reviewed the security scenario during his two-day visit to the Valley.
“The government will take legal action against those, who indulge in incidents of violence. We would start legal proceedings against 5 percent people in Kashmir, who are creating trouble,” Mehbooba said.
Later, she lost her cool over when a reporter told her that when Kashmir witnessed unrest in 2010, you as an opposition leader had talked in a different language and now your stance is totally different and it seems that you and then chief minister Omar Abdullah have changed positions.
“Your analysis is wrong. It is not true,” she said.
Explaining the difference between the ongoing unrest and 2010 uprising, Mehbooba said 2010 agitation was triggered after a fake encounter in Machil.
“Three youth were killed in a fake encounter in Machil in 2010, two women were raped and killed and a teenage boy was killed. There was a strong reason behind the 2010 unrest,” she said.
“Today, people are attacking police stations. Those who attacked the police station at Damhal Hanjipora had not gone to fetch milk,” she said adding people even defied curfew and “came out on roads after the killing of three militants in an encounter on July 8. How is he government to be blamed for that,” the CM said.
She said, “Had a kid gone to the army camp to buy toffee? When 15-year-old boy attacked police station Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir, had he gone there to buy milk?”
The CM said current situation can’t be compared with that of 2010.
“Poor Kashmiri youth are being used as shield by vested interests. 95 percent people killed are from poor families,” she said.
Mehbooba said that she has ensured that the people of Kashmir don’t face atrocities recalling that excesses were committed on them by Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel.
As journalists continued to pose tough questions on prevailing situation in the Valley, Mehbooba felt agitated and left in a huff from the press conference even as the Home Minister was seated.
