In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people today participated in multiple funerals of Saddam Hussain Padder and Bilal Ahmad, who were martyred along with eight other youth during a cordon and search operation and in firing by the Indian troops in Shopian, yesterday.
At least, 18 rounds of funerals were offered for the two martyrs with each attended by thousands. A group of mujahideen appeared during the funerals and offered gun salute to them.
Hundreds of Kashmir University students assembled outside the Allama Iqbal Library in Srinagar and offered funeral prayers in absentia for the martyred Assistant Professor of the university, Dr Muhammad Rafi. Hurriyat leaders and organizations including Muhammad Yasin Malik, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi and Maulana Abbas Ansari condemned the killings in Shopian and described it as the worst kind of Indian state terrorism.
Meanwhile, the puppet authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, today, to prevent a march towards the civil secretariat against the killing of 10 youth by the Indian troops in Shopian. Call for the march and sit-in was given by the Joint Resistance Leadership. Police arrested Mirwaiz Umar Farooq when he defied house detention and ventured out to lead the march. However, he was arrested and lodged at Nigeen police station in Srinagar. The JRL announced that strike would continue, tomorrow, against the bloodbath in Shopian district.
Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik and other Hurriyat leaders continued to remain under house arrest or in jails. The traders, representing Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, assembled at Abi Guzar and started the march towards civil secretariat, but police intercepted and stopped them at the Residency Road.
On the other hand, normal life came to a standstill across the occupied territory to mourn the killings. All shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed, while examinations were postponed. Internet and train services remained suspended in the territory.
Indian Supreme Court, today, transferred the trial in gang rape and murder of the eight-year-old Kathua Muslim girl, Aasifa, to Pathankot in Indian state of Punjab. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed that the trial in the case should be held in-camera.
An Indian Border Security Force man committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at his camp in Humhama area, adjacent to Srinagar airport. This has raised the number of such deaths among Indian troops and police personnel to 400 since 2007 in the territory.
A central reserve policeman was injured in a grenade attack in Pulwama district, today.
