A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s impassioned speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism in the occupied valley martyred seven Kashmiri youths in Ganderbal, Ramban and Shopian districts on Saturday, the Kashmir Media Service reported.
The Indian troops during cordon-and-search operations martyred three youths in Naranag area of Ganderbal and three others in Batote area of Ramban district in the Jammu region. The troops arrested Sajad Ahmad Malik in Arwani area of Shopian district and martyred him in the custody.
An Indian soldier was also killed and another injured in an attack in Batote.
Indian authorities in Held Kashmir tightened restrictions on people’s movements on Saturday to prevent possible protests triggered by speech by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, had warned there would be a bloodbath once India lifts its restrictions in Kashmir which have been in force since it revoked the region’s decades-old autonomy on August 5 and detained thousands of people. While warning of the consequences of lifting what he described as an ‘inhuman curfew’, Imran Khan had demanded India do so and free all detainees.
Soon after the speech, hundreds of Kashmiris came out of their homes, shouting slogans in support of Khan late on Friday night and calling for the independence of Kashmir.
On Saturday, police vans fitted with speakers made public announcements in some parts of Srinagar about movement restrictions, while additional troops were deployed to prevent any protests, according to officials and two witnesses. The troops also blocked access to the main business centre of Srinagar with razor wire.
“This was necessitated after protests across Srinagar city last night soon after Imran Khan’s speech,” said a police official, who declined to be identified. In some areas in Kashmir – including the Soura region near Srinagar which has witnessed protests in the past against India’s decision – people clashed with security forces by pelting stones on Friday night, forcing police to use tear gas to disperse them, he added.
Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over the disputed territory. India’s crackdown as it revoked Kashmir’s special status was accompanied by severe restrictions on movement, as well as disconnection of telephone services. Though New Delhi has eased some of the movement curbs, no prominent detainees have been freed and mobile and internet connections remain suspended.
Normal life remained crippled on the 55th consecutive day on Saturday in the Kashmir valley as shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed and public transport was off the roads. The occupation authorities kept the communication means including internet and mobile phones suspended and TV channels shut in the occupied valley and Muslim areas of Jammu region, adding to the woes of the residents. Shutdown was observed in Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar against Indian occupation and repeal of special status of the valley by India.
An officer of Indo-Tibetan Border Police committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Jammu city. This incident of suicide raised the number of such deaths among Indian troops and police personnel to 442 since January 2007.
In Islamabad, Convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter Syed Abdullah Gilani told media that Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address to the UN General Assembly has effectively represented the aspirations of the Kashmiris. He said Imran Khan proved himself a real ambassador of the oppressed people of the occupied valley.
On the other hand, a large number of people held a protest march in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, against Indian state terrorism in the occupied valley and demanded that India end restrictions and communication blockade in the territory.
Former puppet chief minister of Held Kashmir and Indian National Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, in an interview in New Delhi, said that situation in the occupied valley is deplorable and a huge crisis is unfolding in the region where the poor people have nothing to eat.
