SRINAGAR: Parallel factions of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday condemned the killing of 18-year-old boy by government forces in Naidkhai area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday evening as “display of state-terrorism” and called for a complete shutdown on Sunday.
Abdullah’s rule worst ever for Kashmiris: Hurriyat (G)
Terming the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar by police “as a fresh example of state-terrorism,” Hurriyat (G) appealed for “complete shutdown on Sunday, March 16 against the killing.”
A statement issued by the pro-freedom amalgam while calling the killing a “cold-blooded murder,” demanded an impartial investigation into it.
“Indian forces and state police are killing our youngsters in a planned way and Omar-led government has broken all the past records of genocides,” the statement said.
The statement also condemned the detention of dozens of Hurriyat leaders including senior leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, Mohammad Ashraf Laya and Firdous Ahmad Shah and the police raids on the house of others leaders. While condemning the imposition of curfew-like restrictions it said that “on one hand our innocent children are killed and on the other hand, we are not even allowed to mourn on the dead bodies.”
“Though Kashmiris are miserably suffering from 1947, the Omar-led government has proved to be worst of all periods and his 6-years of governance have shown bloodbath from every corner of the state,” the Hurriyat statement said, demanding an impartial investigation into the teenager’s killing.
State deriving sadistic pleasure: Mirwaiz
Expressing “serious concern and deep anguish” over the teenager’s killing, Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that “cold-blooded murder of Kashmiri youth by the armed forces is once again an open display of state terrorism to which the people of Kashmir are repeatedly subjected.”
In a statement, the conglomerate appealed people to observe complete strike on March 16 to peacefully protest “against the bloodshed of Kashmiris and divert the attention of international community towards their sufferings.”
Mirwaiz who, according to the statement was placed under house arrest, said that “it has become a routine that after killing innocent Kashmiris, curfew is imposed across the length and breadth of the Valley to prevent people from protesting against the open aggression by the state and placing the leadership under house arrest or in jails to prevent them from sharing the grief and expressing solidarity with the believed families.”
“As a cover up to these shameful and inhuman acts, probes and commissions are set up by these indifferent and oppressive state authorities that are of no avail,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz said that at a time when Kashmiris were already suffering due to inclement weather and callous attitude of authorities to tackle it, killing of student in NaidKhai and then imposing curfew to restrict the movement of people added to the sufferings and miseries of already beleaguered Kashmiris.
“It seems that authorities take pleasure from these sadistic and revengeful acts,” Mirwaiz said. While expressing his sympathy and solidarity with the family of the slain youth, he demanded stern action against the culprits.
The Hurriyat has also appealed ulema, imams, intellectuals, and other members of the society to raise the issue of the constant sufferings of Kashmiris from their respective platforms, the statement said. It also denounced the house arrest of its leaders including Moulana Abbas Ansari, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Javed Ahamad Mir, and Saleeem Geelani.
Killing again exposes ‘India’s dictatorial nature’: Shah
A statement issued by Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir (HCJK) said that its senior leader, Shabir Ahmad Shah condemned the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar.
“New Delhi is in misconception that it can suppress the freedom movement of Kashmiris by the use of gun, arresting of pro-Hurriyat people and other human rights violations,” Shah said, adding “They don’t learn lessons from the fact that despite rendering more than five lakh lives for the cause, the hearts of the Kashmiri people are still filled with the spirit of freedom.”
“The more India will oppress the people of Kashmir, the more they will turn against them,” Shah said. He said that “Indian oppressive rule is nearing to its end keeping in view the changing world scenario and continuing sacrifices being laid down by brave freedom fighters of our nation.”
The statement also condemned the house arrest of HCJK leaders including Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan and detention of another leader Shabir Ahmad Dar.
Forces assigned to kill: JKLF
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik while strongly condemning “the brutal killing of yet another Kashmiri student” said that “another budding rose has fallen to the trigger-happy and bloodthirsty temperament of the Indian forces.”
According to a statement issued by a JKLF spokesman, Malik announced that JKLF will organize a peaceful protest at Lal Chowk “against this brutal killing” on Monday at 2: 00 pm.
Malik, who according the statement was placed under house arrest from Friday night, said the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar at Naid Khai is a ‘cold-blooded murder.’
“Once again Indian forces and police have shown their beastly instinct of killing humans, and on the other hand, the pro-India politicians and rulers have started their drama of condemnations and ordering probes,” Malik said.
“Indian forces and police kill because they are assigned with the job of killings and the pro-India politicians and rulers start shedding crocodile tears to hoodwink the international community and also to pacify the anger of the people over these massacres,” Malik said.
“In past Indian forces and these rulers have been doing the same and now nobody in Jammu Kashmir and abroad believes in these probes and inquiries as till date no probe has been made final and no guilty has been ever punished,” Malik added.
Malik said that “killings of young buds are always painful but at the same time these sacrifices provide us more courage to fight the tyrants and keep striving for the sacred cause of our martyrs.”
The statement said that a JKLF delegation led by district president Bandipora Syed Nisar Jeelani along with Mushtaq Ahmad Wani “managed to reach the martyred youths residence despite curfew.”
“The delegation met with the bereaved family and expressed solidarity with them,” it added.
HCBA apprehends ‘repetition of 2010 pattern killings’
Stating that the lawyers’ body apprehends the repetition of 2010 pattern killings in Kashmir, the Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Saturday condemned the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar in, what it said, “the continued spate of state repression.”
“The Bar Association apprehends the repetition of the 2010 killings, as in 2009 and 2010 similar killings took place in which 138 innocent children were killed,” the lawyers’ body said in a statement.
It added: “State repression is a continued campaign in the state of J&K and the trigger-happy state forces are shedding the blood of innocent people as a matter of state policy to subjugate the will of the people and threaten the youth to restrict the mass upsurge against the armed occupation of the J&K and for the freedom of J&K.”
“The killing of Farhat is not an isolated incident, but similar killings are taking place across the valley for demanding the right of self-determination and giving the people their right which has been recognized by United Nations and accepted in various UN resolutions by the world community,” the statement added.
The lawyers’ body reiterated to “take all appropriate steps to expose the policy of the government and take all appropriate steps to bring the culprits to book.”
“The magisterial probe ordered by the government is a farcical claim with no substance in it,” the statement said, adding “The recent killings of these youth deserve to be probed by an independent and impartial body in a transparent manner, as such the Bar Association demands that in case the government is sincere, they must order a judicial inquiry headed by a sitting High Court Judge and the guilty be prosecuted and punished according to law.”
DeM calls for ‘Naikhai chalo’
Terming the killing of teenager at Naidkhai as “gruesome and an eye-opener for Kashmiris,” Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) Saturday endorsed strike call given by parallel Hurriyat factions on Sunday.
In a statement here, chairperson of DeM, Asiya Andrabi, besides appealing people to observe complete strike urged them to march towards Naidkhai to express condolence with the family of the bereaved youth.
“This is an eye-opener for people of Kashmir and they should reject pro-India politicians who support these ‘cruel’ police and army personnel. No matter which party they owe allegiance to, these politicians only strengthen the illegal Indian occupation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Asiya said.
‘Forces frustrated’: JKLF (R)
JKLF-R chief patron, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and chairman Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karatey, while condemning the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar said that “the Indian occupational forces are now in the state of frustration and anger against the Kashmiri youth, who refuse to accept their supremacy.”
“The Kashmiri youths are the main targets now and we are seeing that they are killing our youth ruthlessly,” the duo said in a joint statement.
The statement said that “both leaders have criticized the government for imposing the restrictions in the valley.”
Majlis-e-Itehad-i-Millat (MIM), a conglomerate of various religious organizations “strongly denounced the unjustified and brutal use of force by the forces personnel upon the peaceful protestors in Naidkhai Sumbal which resulted in death of 18-year-old youth Farhat Ahmad Dar and injuries to some other civilians.”
“MMI stresses upon stopping this barbarity upon hapless people and demands stringent action against the personnel involved in these brutal atrocities,” a statement issued by the MMI spokesman said.
Book killers of Farhat: DAK
Doctors’ Association of Kashmir (DAK) termed the killing of the teenager as barbaric.
“This is a cold-blooded murder,” a statement issued by DAK said, adding “Shooting at chest with intent to kill is brutal.”
“Police in the state have a license to kill and after killing they get away and are rewarded with cash and promotions,” the statement said, adding “The cops involved in this dastardly act should be booked for murder till then Kashmiri will continue to protest,” the statement added.
Teenger’s killing should awaken govt: PDP
Opposition PDP Saturday condemned the killing of a youth by police firing in Bandipora district and demanded that government should withdraw all cases against Kashmiri youths for holding protests.
“We condemn the killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar during protests against arrests and filing of cases against youth by police in their area at Sumbal yesterday,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told reporters here.
She said the killing of Dar should awaken the government “out of its slumber” to withdraw all the cases filed against youths for holding protests from time to time.
“If anyone is involved in militancy or other criminal activity, cases against them are fine. However, the cases for holding protests should be withdrawn,” she demanded.
Mehbooba accused the National Conference-Congress alliance having turned “man-eater”, particularly targeting the youths of Kashmir.
“They want to push the youth against the wall,” she added.
The PDP president also lashed out at the Bandipora district police chief, who, she alleged, has been appointed at the behest of a local politician from the ruling party.
“We have come to know that the (security) agencies wanted an experienced officer in Bandipora in view of the district being sensitive and coming elections. But the present officer was appointed against that recommendation at the behest of a local leader. The Election Commission should look into the matter,” she said.