Terming governments attempt to abort the ‘Islamabad Chalo’ programme by imposing strict curfew throughout the Kashmir valley for the 18th consecutive day and blocking all roads leading to Mirwaiz Manzil Nigeen and Jamia Masjid, Srinagar by placing more Indian forces en route and concertina wires as acceptance of their defeat, top resistance leaders, Monday Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that such undemocratic measures and curbs on the movement of resistance leaders and freedom-loving people cannot change the mindset and peoples craving for freedom in any way.Defying his house arrest, the Mirwaiz on Monday came out of his residence but he was stopped by a large contingent of Police and Indian forces posted outside his residence and arrested by them.Talking to a number of media persons standing outside his residence before his arrest ,he condemned the oppressive tactics of the government and said killings, injuring, maiming and blinding of people, imposing curfew, restrictions and curbs on people for demanding their basic right the right to self-determination was state terrorism and highly condemnable.
He demanded that the people’s right to peaceful assembly and protest be restored forthwith and the forces be withdrawn and leadership and people be allowed to visit the families of the martyrs.Stressing that the resistance leadership had asked the freedom-loving people of Kashmir to move towards south Kashmir to pay glowing tributes to the martyrs and express their condolences, sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims killed in the past 18 days, the Hurriyat (M) Chairman said that using force to prevent people from mourning and expressing their protest against such gruesome acts is deplorable.
The Mirwaiz said that by adopting intransigent and rigid approach, New Delhi was just prolonging the crisis and its military and iron fist approach cannot suppress the voice of the people.Stressing that Kashmir is a political issue which needs to be resolved through political engagement among all the Parties the people of Kashmir, India and Pakistan. Mirwaiz Urged the people across the Valley to remain steadfast in carrying the resistance movement forward.Meanwhile, an Hurriyat (M) spokesman has strongly condemned the arrest and continuous house detention of its Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and of senior Resistance leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Adv. Shahid-ul-Islam Javed Ahmd Mir and other resistance leaders and said such tactics will not deter the resistance leaders or freedom-loving from pursuing the cause of self-determination. (KNS)