APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq defied his house detention at his Nigeen residence on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) to stage a peaceful sit-in at Lal Chowk, but was detained and lodged in police station Nigeen by the heavy contingent of policemen who were already deployed outside, a APHC statement issued said.Mirwaiz while talking to media men, before his detention, said the government once again followed its practice of using military might, turned entire Srinagar into a military garrison by imposing stringent curb in majority of downtown and sealing the Lal Chowk, to prevent resistance leadership from reaching there to stage a peaceful protest.He said the main motive of today’s peaceful protest at Lal Chowk was to convey to the Prime Minister of India, Narendera Modi that people of Kashmir have been facing ultimate form of repression at the hands of lakhs of government forces present here and New Delhi was directly responsible for the Kashmir situation as it continues to use military might in crushing the genuine voice and aspirations of peace loving people of Kashmir.
Miwaiz said that leadership and people wanted to convey to Modi the “Mann ki Baat” of every Kashmiri that for the past seven decades they are waiting for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. They wanted to convey that Kashmir issue could not be addressed through economic packages from New Delhi. Kashmir issue was not a law and order issue or an issue related to basic facilities of roads, water.Mirwaiz said that if GoI believes that Kashmir issue can be resolved through its military might, then it is grossly mistaken as Kashmir being a purely humanitarian and political issue can only be resolved politically as per the aspirations of its people. Mirwaiz stressed that Kashmir issue was not about inaugurating Tunnels and Trains or announcing economic packages in the name of development as such things have been done since 1947, but these measures couldn’t change or alter the basic nature of the Kashmir dispute.Mirwaiz said that people of Kashmir have been offering priceless sacrifices since past seven decades not for the announcement of economic packages of inauguration of roads and tunnels but solely for the resolution of Kashmir issue.He asked how long will Kashmiri people be selectively killed?
Mirwaiz said that in almost every lane of Kashmir there are graveyards where young, old, women and children killed by government forces are buried. Lakhs of Kashmiri’s have been killed.Miwaiz said that present border skirmishes between the forces of India and Pakistan are because of the lingering Kashmir dispute which is taking a toll on the innocent living civilians on both sides of the LoC.Mirwaiz said that situation has reached a point in Kashmir where highly qualified youth feel pushed to the wall by repression and are joining armed means of resistance. He said loud propaganda and lies are being spread across India about Kashmir distorting the facts on ground.Mirwaiz said in the present time global community is eschewing bitterness and coming closer for mutual benefit of conflict resolution. He said South Korea and North Korea too have joined hands for resolving their issues but world’s oldest dispute Kashmir issue about which many resolutions are pending in UN continues to linger on due to obstinate approach of New Delhi. Mirwaiz said that India and Pakistan will have to come together to resolve this issue sooner than later. (PTK)