Imran Khan’s statement on Kashmir welcomed in IOK

ISLAMABAD: Hurriyat Forum Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyat leaders have welcomed the statement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan that Kashmir is the core issue between Pakistan and India and the dispute should be resolved through dialogue.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a tweet said that Kashmiris welcome the statement of Imran Khan calling for the resolution of Kashmir dispute through dialogue in view of the huge human cost being borne by the people of Kashmir. He hoped that the two neighboring countries would take steps to give real peace a chance.

Other Hurriyat leaders and organisations, including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Javaid Ahmad Mir, Zafar Akbar Butt, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, Ali Raza Syed and Tehreek-e-Wahdat-e-Islami in their statements also appreciated PTI Chief’s statement on Kashmir.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, addressing a gathering at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday, said that the Kashmiris would resist any machinations over the Article 35-A that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir in Indian constitution. Indian Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking abrogation of Article 35-A on August 6.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat leaders, including Bilal Siddiqi, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Advocate Bashir Ahmed Butt, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Molvi Bashir Ahmed, Syed Imtiyaz Haider, Nisar Hussain Rathar, Imtiaz Ahmed Shah and Ghulam Nabi Waseem led demonstrations in Srinagar and Sopore areas against the illegal detention of the Kashmiris lodged in different jails of India and the occupied territory. People took to the streets after Indian forces’ personnel vandalised property at Goriwan Chowk in Bijbehara area of Islamabad district.

Complete shutdown was observed in Islamabad town and in different areas of Kulgam distric on Friday against the killings of two youth, Abid Hussain Butt and Bilal Ahmad Dar, by Indian troops.

The occupation authorities imposed undeclared curfew in different areas of Islamabad town on Friday to prevent people from staging protests against the killings. Hundreds of people amid high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans participated in the funeral prayers of Abid Hussain Butt in Suzan area of Doda district.

Indian troops conducted cordon and search operations in Srinagar, Bandipora and Baramulla areas, causing huge inconvenience to the people. Indian police arrested five youth during raids in Dreed Kalipora area of Shopian.