Srinagar, August 12 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, over three lac people participated in the Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers) of senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Shaikh Abdul Aziz at Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar, today. He was martyred by Indian troops yesterday, while he was leading a march towards the Line of Control, holding in his hands a big portrait of Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Namaz-e-Janaza, led by senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, was offered amidst the martyrdom of another nineteen innocent Kashmiris shot dead by Indian troops today at Rainawari, Bagh-e- Mehtab, Bandipora, Manasbal, Islamabad, Baramulla, Lasjan Chaudora, Bejbehara and Kishtwar areas. The troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, heavy lathi-charge and severe teargas shelling in these areas to prevent large processions of mourners from converging on Mazar-e-Shuhada. The mourners before and after Namaz-e-Janaza held massive demonstrations raising high-pitched pro-Pakistan, pro-liberation and anti-India slogans.

Earlier, defying curfew orders large crowds of people assembled outside the residences of the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Gilani who took them along to Mazar-e-Shuhada breaking the three tier security cordon, which was in place to keep them under house arrest. Besides them who participated in the Namaz-e-Janaza included Muhammad Yasin Malik and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosavi. APHC leaders, Professor Abdul Ghani Butt, Maulana Abbas Ansari and Bilal Ghani Lone continued to remain under house arrest.

The troops desecrated mosques in Chinkral Mohalla and Shaheed Ganj areas of Srinagar, which triggered forceful anti-India demonstrations. In Kargil area of Laddakh, hundreds of people, including women and children took to the streets against the Killing of Shaikh Abdul Aziz.

All the leaders of APHC and other political, social and religious organisations including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, Sheikh Muhammad Hassan, Nazir Ahmed Quraishi, and Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah in their separate statements expressed profound grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Shaikh Abdul Aziz. They also strongly condemned the use of brute force against innocent Kashmiris by Indian troops during the last two days.