Srinagar, April 19, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, forceful demonstrations against the rape and murder of eight-year-old Kathua girl, Aasifa Bano, continued to rock Srinagar and all major towns. Dozens of people including students were injured in the brutal actions of Indian troops and police personnel on the protesters.
People including students of different schools and colleges took to the streets in Srinagar, Badgam, Nagam, Chadoora, Ganderbal, Kangan, Shopian, Pulwama, Islamabad, Baramulla, Sopore, Boniyar, Rafiabad, Delina, Kupwara, Bandipore, Ajas and other areas, demanding stern punishment to the rapists and killers of the minor girl.
The protesters raised high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and waved Pakistani flags in different areas. Indian police and troops fired pellets and teargas shells to disperse the protesters at many places, triggering clashes between the demonstrators and the forces’ personnel. Dozens of people including students sustained injuries in the forces’ actions. Some of the critically injured were shifted to different hospitals of Srinagar. Scores of specially-abled persons held a protest rally in Kupwara town against the rape and murder of Kathua girl. They demanded death penalty to the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
Complete shutdown was observed in Tral town of Pulwama district, today, against the use of brute force on students by the Indian forces, yesterday. All shops and business establishments remained closed while traffic was off the road in the town.
Resistance leaders including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Bilal Siddiqi, Shabbir Ahmed Dar and the High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir in their statements strongly denounced the use of brute force on students by the Indian police and troops during protests, yesterday. Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai termed the current political situation in the territory as highly volatile and gruesome.
On the other hand, illegally detained senior APHC leader, Masarrat Aalam Butt, has said that India cannot suppress the freedom sentiment of the Kashmiri people through illegal detentions, arrests, harassment and other brutal tactics. He said this while talking to the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Chairman, Shabbir Ahmed Dar, who met him at Kothi Bagh Police Station in Srinagar. Masarrat Aalam was brought from Kot Bhalwal Jail of Jammu to Srinagar for a court hearing. After the hearing, he was shifted back to Kot Bhalwal Jail. Indian police arrested Hurriyat leaders, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and Qazi Yasir in Islamabad town.
At a meeting of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League in Srinagar, today, Abdul Ahad Parra was elected as the Acting Chairman of the party. Addressing on the occasion, he said that settlement of the Kashmir dispute is possible through implementation of the UN resolutions.
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