In occupied Kashmir, Hurriyat leaders and organizations including Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik, while strongly condemning the Indian army firing on civilians in Shopian in which four teenage girls were injured on Monday, have said that the incident has clearly exposed the so-called ceasefire announced by India to hoodwink the world community.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar said, this is what the Indian army means by the much hyped ceasefire. He said, “Indian forces are the same people who butchered and massacred hundreds of youth – irrespective of whether they were armed or unarmed – wounded, maimed and blinded thousands just for peaceful protests in demand of their basic right, the right to self-determination.”
“Now shamelessly, they arrange so-called Iftaar to show their artificial love and affection with these bereaved families,” the APHC chairman said and hailed the people of Shopian who opposed these fake gestures. He said when people of the area do not want such an event to happen, why the men in uniform forced their dictation on gunpoint.
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was released after six-day illegal detention in a statement in Srinagar said, the hands of occupational forces are painted with the blood of Kashmiri youth, and when they want people in Shopian to join their forced Iftaar operation they refused to do so; then they were showered with bullets and pellets resulting in the injuring of many of them including some teenage girls. “This firing on unarmed civilians shows the real face of Indian occupation which neither has any respect for religious sentiments of the people nor does care for the lives of human beings.” He advised the Indian Army that instead of arranging so-called Iftaar events hold some programs for their soldiers to teach them the importance of human dignity and life.
Hurriyat leaders including Bilal Siddiqui, Farida Bahenji, Muhammad Yasin Atai, Muhammad Musa and Abdul Majeed Tramboo in their statements termed the incident as highly shameful and cowardly act.
The High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir in its statement said, “At a time when Indian collaborators in Kashmir are all praise for so-called ceasefire, the use of force by the ruthless army at DK Pora is an indication as to how these pitiless Indian armed forces are behaving in Kashmir and are killing Kashmiris with bullets and pellets on one pretext or the other.” It appealed to the international community to take notice of these happenings in occupied Kashmir.
The member of so-called Kashmir Assembly, Engineer Abdur Rasheed called the Indian army’s attempt to hold Iftaar in Shopian area a cruel joke.
