HCBA condemns use of force on Lolab protestors, supports Geelani’s shutdown call on Friday

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA) while strongly “condemning the use of brutal force by police and army on protestors in Lolab,” Wednesday supported the shutdown call given for Friday by Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, against the incident.
“The Bar Association feels that the people, who had assembled outside police station Lalpora had every right to ask the police to show them the dead bodies to know the identity of the slain persons,” a statement issued by HCBA said, adding “it was only because of the refusal of the police that the people lodged a protest.”
“The manner in which dead bodies without identification were handed over to the local Auqaf for burial followed by clamping of curfew in the area casted a serious doubt on the very veracity of the encounter and killing of militants,” the lawyers’ body said.
It also demanded investigation through “impartial and independent international agencies in the wake of Pathribal, Machil and other fake encounters.”
“The Bar Association feels that killing of innocents in fake encounters or in jails/police stations and elsewhere can be checked only when the draconian laws viz Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Enemy Agents Ordinance Act, Disturbed Areas Act, Public Safety Act, Unlawful Activities Act, etc. are repealed as it is under the garb of these laws the army, paramilitary forces and police have let loose a reign of terror in the state as they are not answerable or accountable to anyone for their misdeeds,” the statement added.

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