Srinagar, June 28 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, complete strike was observed on the sixth consecutive day on Saturday, marked with anti-India and pro-liberation demonstrations in all major cities and towns including Srinagar, Bandipora, Baramulla, Handwara, Ganderbal, Magam, Sopore, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, Islamabad, Bijbhera, Mattan and Kulgam.
All government and semi-government offices, business establishments, educational institutions, banks and courts remained closed and traffic was of the road. Hundreds of protestors were injured when Indian troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, heavy lathi charge and excessive tear gas shelling at various places.
Addressing a massive protest demonstration at Mazhama in Budgam, where Indian troops killed in cold blood an innocent 18-year old student on Thursday, APHC leaders Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Shaikh Abdul Aziz and Nayeem Ahmed Khan emphasised that India was seizing Kashmiris’ land to strengthen its illegal occupation. The protesters shouted full-throated pro-liberation and anti-India slogans.
Paying glowing tributes to Kashmiri martyrs especially Farooq Ahmad Raha, Sameer Ahmad Tiploo and Farooq Ahmad Rather who were martyred in recent days, the APHC leaders strongly condemned the indiscriminate use of force by occupation forces against the peaceful protestors across the held valley, killing and injuring several innocents. The leaders maintained that such repressive steps by India and its stooges in occupied Kashmir could not break the peoples’ determination to fight for the freedom of their homeland.
The APHC leaders said that the uprising of people against the land transfer was not temporary and added that the people of the territory would fight till Indian army leaves Jammu and Kashmir. They pointed out that nobody could stop Kashmiris from achieving freedom. The Hurriyet leaders further said that India was working on an agenda of changing the demography of the territory and asked the people to remain vigilant to defeat the nefarious designs of the enemy. They maintained that the people of the occupied territory were not against Amarnath Yatra but against the cultural and political aggression of New Delhi.
Criticizing the recent statement of the Chief Executive of SASB, Arun Kumar that the forestland has been transferred to the Board permanently, the APHC leaders said that the assertion was an attempt to provoke communal riots in the territory. Rejecting the forthcoming so-called elections in occupied Kashmir, they maintained that elections have never provided any solution to the Kashmir dispute and appealed to Kashmiris to boycott these elections. Later the leaders led the demonstration from Mazhama to Lal Chowk passing through different areas.
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik was brutally subjected to torture resulting in the fracturing of bones in an arm and a leg while he was leading another procession in Budshah Chowk. He was beaten with batons and gun butts. People rushed him to a bone hospital in Barzalla where the affected parts of his body were plastered. One of his associates, Noor Muhammad Kalwal was also critically injured.
The troops thrashed and critically injured, Hurriyet leader, Zaffar Akber Butt after arresting him and dozens others at Rambagh in Srinagar when thousands of protesters were heading from Kanipora in Chadoora towards Lal Chowk. The demonstrators shouted high-pitched anti-India and pro-liberation slogans. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Zaffar Akber Butt said that the blood of martyrs would never be allowed to go waste and reiterated the pledge to continue the freedom struggle till its logical end. The Hurriyet leader pointed out that India should accept the ground reality and take steps towards resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris. Another APHC leader, Hakeem Abdul Rasheed led a protest demonstration from Alamgari Bazaar in Srinagar.
Liberation leader, Massarat Alam led a big anti-India procession from Batamaloo to Lal Chowk in Srinagar. Indian troops subjected the procession to brute force near Jehangir Chowk injuring dozens and arresting scores of youth.
The demonstrators fought pitched battles with the troops in the interior localities of Srinagar city including Maisuma, Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Nawakadal, Rainawari and Aali Kadal.