SRINAGAR, 10 JUNE, (DNA) – People staged forceful demonstrations in Srinagar, Kulgam and Islamabad areas Friday against Indian atrocities.

People took to the streets in Nowhatta, Shalteng, Khudwani, Kaimoh and Islamabad areas and shouted slogans in favour of freedom and against India. The protesters waved Pakistani National flag in Nowhatta during the protests while Indian police fired teargas shells to disperse them. Complete shutdown was observed in Khudwani and Kaimoh areas of Kulgam against the arrest of innocent youth by the police.

The occupation authorities put Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Peer Saifullah, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed, Syed Bashir Andrabi, Bilal Siddiqui, Imtiyaz Hyder and Muhammad Yasin Attai under house arrest or behind the bars. They were not even allowed to offer Juma prayers.

The Chairman of Hurriyet forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, addressing a gathering at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, today, strongly denounced the detention of the resistance leaders terming the action as frustration of the puppet authorities.

He said that India’s plan of setting up colonies for retired Indian soldiers in the territory, Separate Township for Kashmiri Pandits and introducing the so-called Kashmir Industrial Policy would be resisted tooth and nail. Hurriyet leaders, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Shabbir Ahmed Dar and Imtiyaz Ahmed Reshi and the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party in their statements and addresses also condemned the curbs on the Hurriyet leaders.

Meanwhile, the Imams and Khateebs of different mosques in their sermons informed the people about the serious consequences of the anti-Kashmiri agenda being advanced by RSS-backed Indian government and its local collaborators in the territory.

In Washington, the US-based human rights activists during a debate on human rights situation in India said that the two years of Narendra Modi-led Indian government had resulted in deterioration in human rights and religious freedom in the country. They called for making the issue as part of America’s regular dialogue with India.

The speakers included John Sifton, the Asia Advocacy Director of Human Rights Watch, Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern, Musaddique Thange from the Indian American Muslim Council and Martina E Vandenberg, President of Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Centre. =DNA
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