Srinagar, October 19: On the call of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLf) leaders on Friday staged a protest against “ongoing oppression in Kashmir”.
JKLF leaders, while addressing a peaceful protest sit-in against what they called as ongoing repression in Kashmir on Friday, were quoted in a statement as saying, “The ongoing oppression in entire valley is nothing but state sponsored terrorism. Killing innocents, damaging and destroying entire localities, beating and humiliating common people, arresting political activists and slapping them with PSA and other acts of suppression like these are glaring examples of colonial mindset.”
“On JRL program, JKLF leaders and activists along with people from many walks of life gathered at Madina chowk (Lal chowk) and staged a peaceful protest against ongoing killing spree, arrests, vandalizing of villages and localities, beating and humiliating men, women and children by Indian occupational forces. JKLF leaders Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Muhammad Sideeq Shah, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, professor Javed, Ghulam Muhammad Dar, Sheikh Aslam and others. Senior Hurriyat Leader Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi also participated in the protest sit-in. holding placards in hands and raising enthusiastic slogans in favor of freedom and martyrs, protesters, marched towards Lal Chowk and staged a sit-in near Budshah Chowk. This protest sit-in was addressed by various JKLF leaders,” reads the jklf Statement.
“While condemning the prolonged incarceration of JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal and others who along with Javed Ahmad Mir are languishing at Kothi-bagh Police station and ongoing house detention of veteran ailing leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Doctor Muhammad Umar Farooq, JKLF leaders said that despite this one sided violence by rulers, people of Kashmir boycotted the election drama with one voice. Claims of being a democracy and caging down political leaders and activists and thus suppressing their voices can only be termed as hypocritical and travesty of democratic norms. It is pertinent to mention that JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik who was taken in custody on 2nd October 2018 along with zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal is still languishing at Kothibagh police station while as JKLF leaders Siarj Ud din Mir, Zahoor Ahmad Butt, Abdul Rashid Magloo, Assadullah Sheikh, Ghulam Nabi Kashmiri etc are languishing in jails of Jammu under PSA and Sheikh Nazir ahmad is serving a life sentence at Kot-balwal jail Jammu,” it said.
“JKLF leaders said that on one hand all this anti-people activities have been expedited and on the other hand rulers are trying to hoodwink international opinion by camouflaged statements and gestures. JKLF leaders said that endeavoring killings, jails, torture, torment and other colonial aggressions is nothing new for Kashmiris and rulers , their forces and administration should bear in mind that their oppressive acts are bound to fail in suppressing the voices of Kashmiris who are striving for a just and sacred cause,” it added.
