The All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, while paying tributes to Gaw Kadal martyrs said the blood of these martyrs will not be allowed to go to waste and people will never forget their sacrifices.

Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar said, “We are committed to fulfilling their mission, and appeal to human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, to utilise their offices in bringing to book the perpetrators involved in heinous crimes against humanity.”

As long as Indian forces are there, he said, such painful events will continue to occur and add to the never-ending situation of uncertainty. He said, “We have presented unparalleled sacrifices for a sacred cause and hundreds of graveyards stand testimony to this. People sacrificed their future for us and now we are bound to safeguard these sacrifices and pursue their mission.”

He appealed to intellectuals, historians and literary persons to formulate a chronological record and documentation of all these events and massacres, and pass them on to the next generations. “It is an obligation for us to preserve all our records regarding such events,” he said.

While referring to the army officers involved in killings, he said that those involved in these crimes were roaming free and were never prosecuted for their crimes; instead, were honoured and elevated to a higher status.

Pellet victims stage protest in Srinagar

Scores of pellet victim youngsters, donning sunglasses, assembled at Press Enclave in Srinagar to protest against the use of lethal weapons on innocent people.

First, the commuters and media persons presumed they were simple protesters. However, the writing on their banners revealed that they were victims of pellets fired by Indian forces during 2016 uprising in Kashmir, KMS reported.

They protestors assembled under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Pellet Victims Association, an organisation set up on a self-help basis. “We are thankful to all of those who extended their help to us. We are not here to complain against anyone but only to highlight the plight of pellet victims,” said Altaf Ahmad, a pellet victim.

He added they were the victims of a weapon used nowhere else in the world. “The fact remains unchanged: Kashmir is the only place in the world where these weapons are used against human beings,” he said.

Some pellet victim girls were also a part of the protest who said no one could understand the pain they were suffering from. “Our eyesight has been snatched. Losing eyesight means losing everything in life. Now, we are dependent. We need help for everything. We cannot read and write, cannot go out or walk on the road without help,” they said.

Business community stages protest in Srinagar

Moreover, the business community also staged a protest in Srinagar against anti-trade and dehumanising policies of the puppet administration.

A large number of traders affiliated with Kashmir Traders Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) assembled at Kokarbazar area of Srinagar and carried out a peaceful pro-freedom procession. The protesting traders carried placards and banners seeking a permanent solution to Kashmir dispute and revocation of Goods Service Tax (GST).

Police didn’t allow these protesting traders to march towards city centre Lal Chowk. They were stopped and some of them were arrested.