Chairman Jammu Kashmir liberation front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik was today arrested near Budshah Chowk Lal Chowk when he was leading a protest march in solidarity with thousands of prisoners who are languishing in different Jails and police stations.The protest that had been announced by united resistance leadership was held despite heavy restrictions, curfew and police intimidations and scores of people participated in the protest program. Police last evening raided the residence of JKLF chief who had gone into hiding to evade arrest. To foil protest program, police and forces laid a siege around Lal Chowk area and a curfew was declared in Maisuma. All roads leading towards Maisuma were cordoned off and nobody was allowed to enter Maisuma and adjacent areas and even many where stopped from offering Friday prayers. From early morning today police and forces used every oppressive tactic to scare people and keep them away from participating in the protest program. Yasin Sahib who had gone in hiding managed to enter Madina Chowk Maisuma and after Friday prayers led the protest Rally.
While addressing the people and media, JKLF chairman said that call for today protest against prolonged incarceration of thousands of Kashmiris has been given by the joint Resistance leadership and to stop this peaceful protest whole of Lal Chowk especially Maisuma and adjacent areas have been turned into a big prison. He said that stopping people from holding peaceful protests against oppressive measures and against caging down thousands of young and old, clerics, scholars and students and even women is no democracy and if rulers and their authorities think that by intimidating people they can crush our resolve for freedom they are mistaken a s we will keep striving for freedom even if we are alone. He said that today thousands of young and old who are languishing in different jails and police stations that have been turned into Abu Gareeb are facing hardships and our protest is a show of solidarity with them. Yasin Malik said that caging down thousands of Kashmiris, slapping black law on hundreds of young and old, playing curfew and restriction politics and using all methods of intimidations, bribing and temptations to break peoples resolve has exposed the tall claims of democracy, battle of ideas and Goli Nahin Boli and despite all these oppressive measures our fight for freedom, our protest against oppression and suppression will continue till the accomplishment of the desired goal.
Emphasizing the need to stand united and firm, JKLF chairman said that to strive for freedom and to stand against oppression, leadership is standing united and we need to strengthen this unity and safeguard it as many enemies are up against it and are striving hard to break it. While appealing ICRC and other international human rights organizations to intervene and save thousands of Kashmiris languishing in various jails from Indian wrath, JKLF chairman said that their silence against these gross human rights violations will amount to supporting oppression and tyranny.After his address, hundreds of people led by JKLF Chairman, raising slogans in favor of freedom, martyrs and prisoners marched towards Lal chowk. As this rally reached near Budshah chowk, police and forces who had already laid a siege around the whole area stopped it and after a stiff resistance arrested Yasin sahib along with Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Both are languishing at police station Kothibagh. Prior to these arrests, another JKLF activist Imtiyaz Ahmad was also apprehended by police at Budshah Chowk (CNS)