- Violent Clashes Erupt In Rainpora Islamabad; More Than 20 Persons Injured
- RR, Police, CRPF Raid Islamabad Rally Venue, 65 Yr Old Man Critical
- Irate Forces Flex Muscles on Media Persons In Batamaloo
One 65-year-old man was hit by pellet or bullet critically injuring him when forces opened fire on people who were readying for a pro-freedom rally in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district on Saturday. Local reports said that local populace of Rainpora Islamabad had scheduled a pro-freedom rally in the area today.
“Police, CRPF and RR Men came very early today and destroyed the stage set for the speakers while as tents erected for the people were set on fire,” a local said. The locals said that people resisted the forces action “but they fired pellets, tear gas shells and bullets”.
“They smashed window panes and started beating everyone. Even women were beaten ruthlessly,” locals said. Soon, a procession from Karigam began approaching towards rally venue. “We were approaching towards rally ground and forces fired on us unprovoked,” locals said. Clashes were going on at the time this report was being filed.
“One elderly man was hit in head,” they said. The injured man was identified as Abdul Ahad Dar, 65. “He was sitting near his home when he was hit by a bullet,” Muhammad Maqbool Dar, a relative of Dar said.
Dar was rushed to district hospital Islamabad. “Dar is critically injured in his head,” a doctor at the hospital said. However, the doctor said, “his head has been damaged by pellets.”
Meanwhile, after CRPF men created mayhem inside Batamaloo area of Srinagar on Saturday morning, it was media personnel who faced irate forces near main Batamaloo chowk.At least five photo-journalists were beaten and thrashed by armed police.
According locals, huge deployment of CRPF men was made early today. “CRPF men came beating men and women who were busy buying essentials,” a local said, “after thrashing and harassing the people, the CRPF men cut down power supplies and damaged electricity transformers which evoked intense protests from the local populace.”
The local said that the action of CRPF men led to confrontation between locals and the para-military forces but “elders of the area intervened and calmed the situation”. Soon, as news spread, photo-journalists rushed to cover the events.
“However, armed police which were already deployed at the entry point of Batamaloo from Bus Stand had spread concertina wires and did not allow us to move forward,” a photojournalist present at the spot told Kashmir Post.
“When we tried to move forward, policeman stopped us,” the journalist said. “We have been categorically told not to allow anyone inside,” the cop told the media. “We showed him the curfew passes issued by District Commissioner,” the journalist said, “but they told us nothing is admissible.”
It irked some media men but they were helpless. “Meanwhile, a police van came and some cops went to talk to some top cop who was inside the van,” the journalist said, “as soon as the van left, the irate cops came rushing towards us with sticks in hands and we were beaten ruthlessly.”
The journalist said that Mubashir Khan, Jahangir, Umer Asif and Aman Farooq were beaten by the forces.
