Srinagar, Apr 11: Separatist — Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik — today called for valley-wide shutdown on Thursday against the killing of four civilians at Khudwani in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Addressing a joint press conference at Abiguzar area here, the separatist trio said that people of Kashmir have been left with no option but to hit streets against the “brutality perpetuated by government forces in Kashmir”.
They appealed people to observe complete shutdown on Thursday followed by sit-in protest after ‘Zuhr’ (afternoon prayers) at every locality and subsequent blackout in the evening to protest the civilian killings.
While Malik was present at the press conference, Geelani and Mirwaiz, who were placed under house-arrest, addressed media telephonically and expressed shock over the civilian killings at the hands of government forces.
“We have been left with no option than to come out on to the roads. The way our new generation is being targeted and killed reflects that it is being done under a thought-out conspiracy,” said Mirwaiz in his telephonic address.
He asserted that killings cannot be stopped if people continue to maintain silence on the issue.
“Every section of the society should collectively come forward. Be it traders, lawyers, engineers or students, until and unless, everyone raises voice against innocent killings, trend will continue unabated,” he said.
Yasin Malik while condemning the killing said “fascist government in New Delhi is desirous of genocide of Kashmiri youth” to contest next elections.
“Since they have miserably failed in their nefarious designs, they want to contest next election by killing Kashmiri youth on daily basis. People are yet to come out of the shock they received in the aftermath of recent killings in south Kashmir that four more innocents were in Khudwani today,” Malik added.
On Kathua rape-and-murder case, Malik said those who came out to support criminals be it lawyers, politicians or others depicted their criminal mindset.
“When Nirbhaya was raped whole India was on roads, but when a Muslim girl is raped and then brutally murdered after being kidnapped, literate people including lawyers, politicians hit streets to support the criminals,” said he.
The JKLF chairman said those who supported rapists are no less than murderers and rapists.
Yasin Malik detained again, set to Central jail
Srinagar, Apr 11: Police detained JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik on Wednesday as he tried to take out a protest march against the killings of civilians in clashes with government forces during an encounter in Kulgam district.
Separatist leaders have called for a strike on the issue tomorrow.
Mailk was detained as he tried to take out the protest march from the JKLF office in Abi Guzar towards the city centre Lal Chowk here. Several other activists of the JKLF and other separatist outfits were also detained by the police.
They were immediately shifted to Police Station Kothibagh from where Malik, Hilal Ahmad War, Mushtaq Ajmal and Zahoor Ahmad Butt were later shifted to Central jail Srinagar on judicial remand.
The protest was organised against the killings of civilians in Kulgam and in support of the demand for hanging of those involved in the rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old nomad girl in Kathua.
Addressing a press conference before taking out the march, Malik said the separatist leadership — comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Malik — had resolved to fight for ensuring justice to the victim.
“We demand all the accused should be hanged,” he said.
Earlier, Geelani and the Mirwaiz addressed the rally telephonically and condemned the incident of lawyers in Kathua trying to prevent the Crime Branch from filing the charge-sheet in the rape-and-murder case.
Yasin Malik detained again, set to Central jail 
