Mirwaiz condemns arrest spree in occupied Kashmir

Srinagar, February 08, 2014 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has strongly condemned the crackdown on pro-freedom leaders and activists as well as youth of the Kashmir Valley by Indian police. The police have launched massive arrest spree in the occupied territory to prevent people from holding different programmes in connection with the martyrdom anniversaries of prominent liberation leaders, Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru.

The APHC Chairman in a statement issued in Srinagar denounced the arrest and nocturnal raids on the houses of the leaders and youth, terming these actions as fascist and cruel. “Leave aside the peaceful activities of Hurriyet leadership, people are not even allowed to pay tribute to the martyrs. These brutal suppressive measures are being used against the Hurriyet leadership, activists and youth of Kashmir,” he deplored. The Mirwaiz maintained that such tactics could not deter the people of Kashmir from pursuing their just struggle for securing their right to self-determination.

Meanwhile, the APHC spokesman in a statement in Srinagar said that in a bid to foil various programmes being organised in connection with the martyrdom anniversaries of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru, the authorities had arrested several Hurriyet leaders and activists. He said that those arrested included Zafar Akbar Butt, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, Mushtaq Ahmed Sofi, Abdul Majeed Lone, Sahil Ahmad, Abdul Rashid Tanki, Farooq Ahmed Matoo, Farooq Ahmad, Nazir Ahmed, Muhammad Shafi, Shabbir Ahmed, Muzaffar Ahmed, Meraj-ud-din, Sarir Ahmed and Adil Ahmed and were lodged in different police stations.

“Hurriyet leader, Muhammad Shafi Khan, has been put under house arrest while nocturnal raids were carried out at the residence of Shahid-ul-Islam, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Ghulam Muhammad Nagoo and Syed Bashir Andrabi,” he added. The spokesman said that to protest this inhuman and suppressive action, the APHC had decided to postpone its seminar till 16th of this month. The seminar was initially scheduled to be organized at the Hurriyet headquarters on February 8 to remember the martyred leaders.

Muhammad Maqbool Butt was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984, for his leading role in the ongoing liberation movement. Muhammad Afzal Guru was sent to gallows in the same jail on February 9, last year, in connection with the attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. Both the leaders were buried in the premises of the jail.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736