The government Friday foiled the peaceful protest programme of ‘Jamia Masjid Chalo’ given by the unified resistance leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik by placing them under arrest and house arrest for the 20th consecutive day while all roads leading to Srinagar’s main Masjid were sealed since Thursday evening with massive deployment of Indian paramilitary forces and imposition of strict curfew and restriction in entire Kashmir in general and Srinagar city in particular.
Meanwhile, when Hurriyat (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq broke through his house arrest to head toward Jamia Masjid Srinagar, he was stopped by a massive contingent of Police and paramilitary forces and taken into custody. Prior to his arrest Mirwaiz talking to media persons outside his residence said this was the third continuous Friday when Muslims of Kashmir had been stopped from offering congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar by use of force.
Stressing that while all basic human rights of people of Kashmir are continuously under assault, they are not even allowed to fulfill their religious obligation of offering Friday prayer and hence the infamous regime even puts even dictators to shame. Mirwaiz said that those executing such repression should understand that it will not cow down people, or change the basic reality of Kashmir issue which come what may will eventually have to be resolved as per the wishes and aspirations of people. Mirwaiz said the past 70 yrs of Kashmir’s peaceful and just struggle is witness to it and our struggle will continue despite such measures.
Stressing the revocation of all the black laws from Jammu Kashmir, the Hurriyat (M) Chairman said that these laws have turned Jammu Kashmir into a Police and military state where the writ of these agencies runs and all human rights and liberties of the Kashmiris get trampled under their boots.
Mirwaiz strongly condemning the use of excessive force to suppress peaceful protests across the valley and arbitrary arrests of hundreds of youth in Srinagar and other districts and nocturnal crackdowns and raids on their residences ,as highly deplorable.
Meanwhile, condemning the government for holding people hostage for the past more than twenty days by harassing them and by imposing frequent curfews and strict restrictions, an Hurriyat (M) spokesman said people were being pushed to the wall and barred from their basic rights which was tyrannical, and despite which the spirits of people were high, breathing a new life into the resistance movement. (KNS)