Srinagar, February 05 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the APHC leader, Yasmeen Raja has denounced in strong terms the arrest of senior Hurriyet leaders Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan and Firdous Ahmed Shah under the black law, Public Safety Act, by the occupation authorities.

Yasmeen Raja in a statement issued in Srinagar expressed serious concern over the increase in atrocities by Indian troops against the people of the occupied territory. She deplored that Indian police had arrested scores of innocent Kashmiri youth from Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Islamabad, Shopian and other areas during the past few days and lodged them in Srinagar Central Jail.

The APHC leader urged Indian rulers to read the writing on the wall and take steps to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations. She pointed out that gross human rights violations would continue till Indian troops were present in the occupied territory. She demanded immediate repeal of black laws, withdrawal of Indian troops and release of political prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir.

Yasmeen Raja appealed to the UN and the world human rights bodies to take notice of the rights abuses by the troops in the occupied territory and put pressure on New Delhi to take steps for the settlement of the dispute, once and for all.

Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir National Front has strongly condemned the arrest of the APHC leaders, Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan. The spokesman of National Front in a statement deplored that the occupation authorities were trying to muzzle the voice of Kashmiri people by arresting their leaders. He also denounced the recent killing of innocent youth by Indian police and troops and unabated use of force on civilians.

“India wants to muzzle the voices of people by force and might. The authorities have given free hand to the troops to abuse human rights,” he pointed out, adding that the people of Kashmir had been sacrificing their lives to take the liberation movement to its logical conclusion.
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