Srinagar, July 01 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, hundreds of thousands of people held a forceful and unprecedented protest demonstration against India’s illegal occupation of their land in Srinagar, today.

People thronged all across the occupied territory and converged on Jamia Masjid despite strict restrictions by the occupation authorities. Call for the protest was given by the Action Committee Against Land Transfer, which was supported by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference and other liberation leaders and organisations.

The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyet leaders including Maulana Abbas Ansari, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Bilal Ghani Lone, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi and JKLF Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik were put under house arrest by the puppet administration to prevent them from addressing the mammoth gathering.

Several places were raided by Indian troops and police since last night to arrest senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani and the Chairman of the Action Committee, Mian Abdul Qayoom but they succeeded in reaching the Jamia Masjid.

Addressing the gathering Syed Ali Gilani said that the liberation struggle would continue till the last Indian trooper leaves the territory. He maintained that the people of Kashmir were united in their struggle to frustrate the nefarious designs of India. His speech was punctuated by high-pitched pro-Pakistan pro-liberation and anti-India slogans. APHC leaders Shaikh Abdul Aziz, Nayeem Ahmed Khan and Mian Abdul Qayoom also spoke on the occasion.

Thousands of people from various nooks and corners of the valley while heading towards the Jamia Masjid were interrupted at various places by Indian troops and police and taken into custody. The troops intercepted a big procession marching from Islamabad to Srinagar at Bejbehara and subjected the demonstrators to baton charge and aerial firing leaving dozens injured.

Several people including Aasia Andrabi, the Chief of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, were injured when the troops resorted to brute force to disperse an anti-India procession in Budgam.

Protest demonstrations were also held in different cities and towns in the occupied territory. The troops subjected the people to indiscriminate firing, heavy lathi charge and excessive tear gas shelling at various places. 

Today’s demonstration was part of the protests triggered by the decision of puppet regime to transfer Kashmiris land to non-Kashmiris.