JRL calls for protests today

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for protests after Friday prayers against declaring Syed Salahudin, chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, and United Jihad Council (UJC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State.

The announcement had come hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump were meeting at the White House. 71-year-old Salahuddin has been operating out of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

 In a statement, Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has expressed deep regret and dismay that the government of United States instead of stressing upon the Indian prime minister Modi during his visit to that country to immediately put an end to the brutal oppression that the people of Kashmir are subject to by Indian armed forces, chose to maintain a complete silence over it.

 India had welcomed the move by the United States of declaring Salahudin as Specially Designated Global Terrorist, with foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay saying that “It does vindicate India’s longest-standing position that cross border terrorism behind disturbance created in Kashmir since last year. The outfits that Syed Salahuddin leads, they have perpetuated, from the territory of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, cross border terrorism against India including in Kashmir for a number of years.”

 “The US is well aware that for the past 70 years the people of J&K are engaged in a long and peaceful struggle for achieving their basic human and political right, the right to self determination, guaranteed by the UN, but ruthlessly resisted and suppressed by the Indian state through use of extreme force,” said a statement issued by JRL.

“Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people. The designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the US financial system. It can also complement the law enforcement actions of other nations,” The US statement had said.

JRL statement said that instead of taking cognizance of these facts, the US government has strangely designated the veteran freedom fighter leader Syed Salahudin as a terrorist, who supports the people’s right to self determination and was forced to take up arms to fight India’s military occupation and oppression, as many youngsters witnessing unprecedented repression are sadly doing so even today and laying down their precocious lives.

The leadership said that this ‘unjustified’ move by the US government to appease the Government of India and their (US) silence over the oppression and human rights situation in Kashmir, is not acceptable to the people of Kashmir who will also strongly protest against it across the valley, post Friday prayers.

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