Chairman Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Mohammad Yasin Malik was today arrested along several others in an injured condition when he was leading an enthusiastic procession in Anantnag town, a statement issued said.According to a spokesman of the JKLF, several leaders including advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Javed Ahmad Malik, Javed Ahmad Bhat, Shahid Makaya, Nzir Ahmad Budgam, Farooq Ahmad Beigh, Junaid Ahmad, Faisal Ahmad,Shabir Ahmad and others. Earlier police stopped another JKLF team and arrested district president Mohammad Ishaq Ganai,Ghulam Qadir Haider, Mohammad Shuaib Malik and Shabir Ahmad Boitengoo along with the vehicle and election boycott related material and loads speakers.“To evade arrest and police barriers Malik had reached Islamabad last night. Police raided several houses during last night looking for Malik and others and from last night a war like situation was created by the authorities to stop JKLF from holding the peaceful boycott rally in Anantnag. From early morning today police even cordoned several mosques including Masjid Rehat Ded to foil the JKLF program.”
The spokesman said that today afternoon Malik and other JKLF leaders despite heavy police presence and siege managed to reach Cheeni Chowk. As people saw Yasin sahib they in large numbers rushed out of their shops and houses to join him. A grand procession in which thousands of enthusiastic youth, elders and people from every walk of life participated; led by Yasin sahib started the march towards Lal Chowk Islamabad where Malik was scheduled to address the gathering. While talking to the people Malik appealed to them to safeguard the sacrifices rendered by martyrs and keep away from Indian elections and boycott polls.Raising slogans in favor of freedom, martyrs, leaders, resistance and election boycott, this procession reached near Lal Chowk where it was stopped by police, CRPF and other forces. Police attacked the procession with teargas shells; sticks and gun buttes injuring dozens of people and smashing vehicles around. A war like situation was created by police to harass people.
Yasin sahib and others provided tough resistance and Yasin sahib, Showkat Ahmad Bakshi, Mohammad Sideeq Shah, Ghulam Mohammad Dar Ghulam Rasool Hazari, Gayas ud Din, Shahid Makaya, Nazir Ahmad Rather, Ishfaq Ahmad Rather, Gowhar Ahmad Nengroo and Maqsood Ahmad Nengroo etc sustained injuries because of the police attack. Police also thrashed and damaged many vehicles that were a part of the caravan and even the vehicle carrying Malik along with load speaker system was seized by the police. Condemning the assault on Malik and his arrest along with several others, JKLF spokesman termed this as a mere frustration of Indian rulers and their Kashmiri stooges. He said that Time and again DGP of police to befool and hoodwink the international community is issuing statements that nobody from resistance camp will be arrested or stopped from performing peaceful political activities but today Malik and others have not only been arrested but also assaulted with rifles and Lathees and injured . This is the repetition of what happened only a few days ago when Malik and others were assaulted by police in same manner while going towards Baramullah. Spokesman said that these arrests and assaults have once again portrayed the frustration of Indian rulers and their Kashmiri puppets who on one hand claim democracy and on other hand stop people from performing democratic peaceful activities.
Spokesman said that on one hand India and its Kashmiri puppets stop arrest and harass resistance leadership and camp from reaching to the people and on other hand arrange full protocol to the public meetings held by pro India and pro election politicians and even drag people to attend their Jalsas. The irony is that after doing all these undemocratic unilateral acts of state terrorism Indian leaders and their Kashmiri puppets claim so called victory on resistance movement and term these elections as a vote and mandate for India. Spokesman said that this is most ridiculous and highly condemnable act and India and its Kashmiri puppets must know that their efforts to hoodwink public and international opinion will never succeed. He said that today’s inhuman and uncivilized behavior has exposed the tall claims of Indian democracy and the slogans and tweets of its stooges who claim to be democratic and peace loving. Today’s assault on Yasin sahib and his arrest in fact has once again proved that India and its Kashmiri puppets have conceded a defeat even before the contest.As the news of assault on Malik and others and their arrest reached Srinagar, angry people especially youth came out to protest against this. Many markets and localities were shut down and the protest is still continuing.