With reference to the JRL call of march towards Badami Bagh and sit-in protest against the recent civilian killing in Pulwama, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while defying his house confinement was arrested by a contingent of police outside his Nigeen residence. Commenting upon the bloodbath in Pulwama, before his arrest, Mirwaiz said that forces have become a killing machine. He said the killing of 10 Kashmiris’ including 8th standard student, young fathers, sons, and brothers all common Kashmiris are deeply saddening.He said after indiscriminate killings, civilians are branded as over ground workers and terrorists which is preposterous in itself , but what is worse is that this propaganda is used as a means of endorsing and justifying the civilians killings by armed forces !Mirwaiz said GOI has overplayed the terrorist /Pak proxy/instigators card and no is buying this narrative except some people in India at whom it is aimed for electoral gains as the world sees for itself the ever-growing graph of atrocities and massacres of Kashmiri’s who are only asking for a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute.
Extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, Mirwaiz said that we are not even allowed to express our sorrow and mourn these brutalities as our tormentors give us no space to grieve collectively and express our outrage and overwhelming emotions at these killings.We can only express our sorrow and outrage by stopping our daily business, as each day we lose valuable lives. Shut down is the only collective response left with us to express our condolences our sorrow our solidarity and our outrage to such atrocities. Every other space for the expression of our emotions is barred by force.Mirwaiz said after indiscriminate killings, barricading all modes of protest grieving and mourning, statements are issued that forces are always with the people of Kashmir. How ironic is it . Threats are issued under the garb of being here for peace. Mirwaiz said people and leadership also want peace but not the peace of graveyard to which our people are being sent. We want peace of the living and an end to bloodshed on all sides, the only guarantee of that is a political resolution of the Kashmir dispute not a military solution, said Mirwaiz.Meanwhile, APHC spokesman has strongly condemned the imposing of curfew and restriction in parts of the Kashmir valley and arrest of amalgam Chairman and other resistance leaders and workers.