Srinagar, May 31 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, has said that India is using rape and molestation of women in the territory as a weapon of war to suppress the Kashmiris’ just struggle for securing their right to self-determination.
Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar reiterated his demand for an impartial probe into the rape and murder of two Kashmiri women, Aasiya and Neelofar, that was perpetrated by Indian men in uniform in Shopian, five years ago. He said that such incidents would continue to occur in future also if the culprits were not booked and punished.
The veteran Hurriyet leader lauded the people of Shopian district for observing complete shutdown on the occasion of completion of five years to the gory incident. “Kashmiris have offered sacrifices in their freedom movement and now it is time to protect these sacrifices. Our collective responsibility is to resist every act which can harm or damage our freedom struggle,” he said. The purpose of remembering Aasiya, Neelofar and victims of other such incidents is that we should not enter in any type of compromise with the people who have committed these heinous crimes and who are continuously attacking our basic and birth rights, he added.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the forum patronised by Syed Ali Gilani in a statement in Srinagar strongly condemned the continued illegal detention of the veteran leader. He said that Syed Ali Gilani had not been allowed to offer Juma prayers since he was put under house detention on April 16 on his return from New Delhi.
The spokesman termed the puppet authorities’ action as unconstitutional and interference in the religious affairs. He appealed to the Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to use their influence for release of the veteran leader.
