Following the call given by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), the leaders from all the factions of Hurriyat Saturday staged a sit-in protest at Maisuma against the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrests.

The leaders and activists led by Noor Muhammad Kalwal of JKLF, Meraj Ud din Rabbani of Hurriyat (G) and Muhammad Yaqoob Masoodi of APHC (M), leaders and activists of United Resistance Leadership including Hilal Ahmad war, Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi, Siraj ud din Mir, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Zahoor Ahmad Butt, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Ghulam Qadir Baigh, Syed Imtiyaz Hiader, Advocate Yasir Dalal, Farooq Ahmad Sodagar ,Muhammad Shafi Khan, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Muhammad Sideeq Shah, professor Javed, Gazi Javed, Imran Ahmad Butt, Muhammad Haneef, Sajad Ahmad Butt, Muhammad Rafiq Owaisee, Mudasir Nadwi, ,Showkat Ahmad Dar Mushtaq Ahmad Dar and Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah along with people from many walks of life marched towards Budshah Chowk and later sat on a peaceful sit-in there.

Terming NIA and ED arrests, ‘torturing’ and prolonging the incarceration of jailed leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Shahid ul Islam, Akbar Ayaz, Peer Saifullah, Raja Meraj ud din Kalwal, Naeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, and Devendar Singh Bhel as ‘a ploy to deviate attention of people from ongoing genocide of Kashmiris and demonize and defame Kashmiri resistance and leadership’, the leaders said that “on one hand killings of innocents continues unabated and on the other hand arbitrary arrests, false and concocted media trial of resistance leadership and other oppressive measures also continue without any break.”

“The oppressive ploy and deceitful tactics played” through NIA are only meant to hide Indian oppression and divert attention of the international community and Indian people from ongoing innocent killings and genocide of Kashmiris, the leaders added.

They said that NIA and ED is being used as ‘a tool of oppression’ against resistance leadership and through intimidations, harassment, torture, fictitious cases and continued media trial, Indian rulers and the local government dream to defeat Kashmiri resistance and put them into submission.

“We want to convey to Indian rulers and the local government that these oppressive measures and deceitful tactics will yield them nothing but shame. Kashmiris have and are rendering valuable sacrifices for their freedom and self determination and tactics these can never break the will and valor of our nation,” they said.

The leaders said that through NIA and ED arrests, rulers are also dreaming to defame and demonize Kashmiri resistance leadership and hence gag the genuine voices of Kashmiri nation. 

Leaders said that besides arresting resistance leadership, the rulers have also turned whole Kashmir into a big prison. 

“Nocturnal raids, arresting innocent young and old and prolonging the incarceration of thousands who are languishing in jails and police stations has become an order of the day which is highly undemocratic and unethical,” they said.

Speakers said that history bears a witness to the fact that killings, incarcerating people and unleashing reign of terror has never succeeded in breaking the will of the people who have resolved to strive for their freedom and the oppressive tactics employed by the Indian rulers and the local government, is also bound to fail.

Leaders said that ‘tyranny and oppression’ are nothing but ‘state sponsored terrorism’ and Indian leaders and the state government should remember that according to the law of retribution they will have to answer for their crimes against humanity one day. 

Guest