–Police detain Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik after they attempted to march towards Indian Army HQs in Srinagar
–OIC calls killings of 14 innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces ‘a wicked terrorist act’
–Pakistan Army spokesman calls extrajudicial killings in Kashmir ‘state-sponsored terrorism’
SRINAGAR/ISLAMABAD: Indian authorities on Monday imposed curfew-like restrictions across occupied Kashmir to prevent a march towards the Indian Army headquarters in Badami Bagh, Srinagar, in protest against the cold-blooded killings of at least 14 Kashmiris in Pulwama district on Saturday, as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Pakistan Army condemned the Indian atrocities in the region.
Call for the march was given by the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik.
However, Indian police arrested Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik after they tried to lead a march towards Indian Army headquarters on Monday.
According to a report by Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was arrested after he defied his house arrest and tried to march towards Badami Bagh army base.
As Mirwaiz came out of his Nigeen residence and tried to march along with dozens of his supporters towards the Badami Bagh base, a police contingent deployed near his residence thwarted the march and detained him and his supporters.
Yasin Malik, who had gone underground to evade arrest, was also detained when he took out a rally from Gaw Kadal area of Srinagar along with his supporters. As he reached Budshah Bridge, police swung into action and arrested him along with many of his supporters.
The protesters said that police fired tear gas shells to foil the protest.
Restrictions have been imposed particularly within the jurisdictions of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Safakadal, Maharaj Gunj, Ram Munshibagh, Maisuma and Kralkhud police stations of Srinagar.
The killings sparked protests by residents resulting in clashes between the demonstrators and the Indian forces. Indian troops fired bullets, pellets and teargas shells to disperse the protesters which led to two more young people being killed and several others injured.
Indian atrocities in the valley have left tens of thousands of people dead since 1989 — most of them civilians. But this year has been the deadliest since 2009, with more than 500 people killed so far. Authorities said last week that incidents of violence were on track to double this year compared to 2017.
OIC, PAK ARMY CONDEMN KILLINGS:
In a statement, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the human rights’ abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) in response to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s request of intervention to the international community.
“OIC General Secretariat expressed strong condemnation of the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) where direct shooting at demonstrators in Pulwama region claimed the lives of a number of innocent citizens,” the OIC said in a tweet.
#OIC General Secretariat expressed strong condemnation of the killing of innocent Kashmiris by #Indian forces in Indian-occupied #Kashmir (#IOK) where direct shooting at demonstrators in Pulwama region claimed the lives of a number of innocent citizens: https://t.co/vHbpWj4Xby
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) December 16, 2018
The OIC urged the “international community to play its role in order to reach a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Kashmir, in accordance with the relevant international resolutions adopted by the OIC and the UN Security Council, and fulfill the aspirations of the Kashmiri people”.
“The general secretariat sends condolences to the families of the innocent victims who lost their lives as a result of this wicked terrorist act and wished the wounded prompt recovery”, the statement adds.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Qureshi had called upon the international community and global human rights organisations to immediately intervene and protect the innocent Kashmiris from the ongoing “killing spree” by the occupation forces in the held valley.
He had written letters to the secretary generals of United Nations (UN) and OIC, besides addressing the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) for bringing their attention to such grave human rights violations in IOK.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had also condemned the killing innocent civilians in Pulwama area of IOK and called for India to allow Kashmiris to decide their future.
In a message on Twitter, Imran Khan had said that only dialogue, not violence and killing, would resolve this conflict.
“We will raise the issue of India’s human rights violations in IOK and demand UNSC fulfil its Kashmir plebiscite commitment,” he had demanded.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Asif Ghafoor called the extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in Pulwama district of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) an act of “state-sponsored terrorism”.
State sponsored terrorism by Indian Occupation Forces on innocent Kashmiris including unethical targeting of civilian population across LOC are highly condemnable.Bullets can never suppress unarmed brave Freedom Fighters.Indian Army must respect ethics of professional soldiering.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) December 17, 2018
Maj Gen Ghafoor said that the killing of innocent Kashmiris as well as the unethical targeting of civilian population across the line of control (LOC) is highly condemnable.
Calling on the Indian forces to “respect ethics of professional soldiering”, he added that “bullets can never suppress unarmed brave freedom fighters”.