In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani, has said that India has turned the territory into a police state and a butcher house where people are being killed mercilessly and detained under frivolous charges.
Syed Ali Gilani in a statement in Srinagar strongly denounced the current wave of killing, arrests and other atrocities perpetrated by the Indian forces’ personnel. He said, the puppet authorities while trespassing all ethics don’t even consider the sanctity of holy month of Ramadan. He condemned the illegal detention of resistance leaders and said that it was extremely unwise to deny political space and muzzle genuine voices.
The APHC Chairman pointed out that ahead of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit to occupied Kashmir on Saturday, the puppet authorities while imposing undue curbs on civilians have turned the territory into a military garrison. He maintained that the pro-India politicians were following the agenda of extremist Hindu organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and said that people particularly youth were being detained and there seemed to be no let-up in killing and harassment of civilians in occupied Kashmir.
Syed Ali Gilani expressed serious concern over fresh arrest spree, harassment of peaceful civilians and humiliation during crackdowns. He said that the Indian police personnel during night raids were ransacking properties and humiliating the people.
The APHC Chairman said, the mammoth participation of people in the funerals of the martyred youth is a glaring example of commitment and affiliation of the people with the freedom movement and serves a message for India that its oppressive measures won’t break their will or resolve. Referring to the arrest of Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Bashir Ahmed Lone and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader, Muhammad Rafique Owasi, he said that the authorities were suffering from arrogance and frustration adding that both these leaders were detained for their participation in funerals of martyred professor Muhammad Rafi Butt.
Syed Ali Gilani castigated the occupation authorities for keeping a Hurriyat activist, Manzoor Ahmed Khan, under continued detention. He said that Manzoor Khan was languishing in jail for the past twelve years and the authorities were not releasing him despite the fact that his mother was suffering from various ailments and needed him to be with her. He also denounced the unjustified detention of senior advocate, Bashir Bukhari.
The APHC Chairman also expressed concern over the reported worsening condition of prisoners, saying that they are being ill-treated and subjected to mental and physical torture in jails. He demanded immediate shifting of all detainees from jails of Jammu region and Indian prisons to the Kashmir Valley.
Paying tributes to all detainees for their commitment and valor, Syed Ali Gilani said that those lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar jail including Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Merajuddin Kalwal, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Shahid Yousuf, Zahoor Watali, Muhammad Aslam Wani were ill-treated. He maintained that Masarrat Aalam Butt, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Dr Muhammad Shafi Sharieti, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Butt, Muzaffar Ahmed Dar, Nazir Ahmed Sheikh, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Ameer Hamza Shah, Mir Hafizullah, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Abdul Ghani Butt, Muhammad Yousuf Lone, Muhammad Shaban Dar, Raies Ahmed Mir and Sarjan Barkati had been arrested on fake and fabricated charges and their detention was being prolonged on one pretext or the other and draconian law, Public Safety Act, was being invoked against one after the other
