Shutdown in IHK on Maqbool Butt’s martyrdom anniversary

Srinagar, February 11 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed, today, on the occasion of the 28th martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri liberation leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt. Call for the shutdown had been given by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and other pro-liberation organisations. Shops, business establishments, courts and banks remained closed while traffic was off the road.

Muhammad Maqbool Butt was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on the 11th of February in 1984 for his leading role in Kashmir liberation movement and his body was buried in the jail premises.

The occupation authorities placed the APHC leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Bilal Ghani Lone and Nayeem Ahmed Khan, under house arrest to prevent them from participating in a function in Trehgam, the native area of the martyred leader, to pay him tributes. The JKLF Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik continued to remain under detention at Kothi Bagh police station for the second consecutive day, today, while Indian police arrested several liberation leaders and activists including Javed Ahmed Mir and Ejaz Ahmed Mir in Srinagar.

On the other hand, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement while paying homage to the martyred leader said that India had hanged Maqool Butt with the belief that sentiment of freedom would die with him but history had proven the decision wrong.

Hurriyet leaders including, Yasmeen Raja, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Farida Behenji and Muhammad Farroq Rehmani in their statements said that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs would not be allowed to go waste and their mission would be accomplished at all costs.

The APHC-AJK in a meeting in Islamabad, with the Convenor, Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, in chair, said that the martyrdom of Maqbool Butt had added a new chapter to the history of Kashmir liberation movement.

Meanwhile, forceful protests rocked Rafiabad area of Baramulla for the second successive day, today, over the killing of a youth, Ashiq Hussain Rather, by Indian troops, last night. The protesters blocked Kupwara-Srinagar road chanting anti-India and pro-liberation slogans. Indian police resorted to baton charge and teargas shelling to disperse the demonstrators.

The All Parties Hurriyet Conference, the forum patronised by Syed Ali Gilani, the Jamaat-e-Islami of occupied Kashmir and other pro-liberation organisations and leaders strongly denounced the killing.