KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Kashmir Bar Association on Sunday strongly condemned the “rude and naked act of police”, in not allowing Mian Abdul Qayoom to meet Syed Ali Geelani, second time, at his residence today.
A renowned lawyer, Mian Abdul Qayoom, is president of Bar.
“Qayoom wanted to discuss some important legal issues with him (Geelani), including the one of initiating legal proceedings against some Indian News Channels, who at the behest of Government of India, have started a campaign of vilification against Syed Ali Geelani and others stating that the Government of India is spending a huge amount for providing security to them, though Geelani, on his part, has never asked for any security from the State or Union Government as he feels secure in his own people,” the statement said.
“The State Government has, however, placed him under house arrest from 2009 and has kept a police contingent outside his home, so that he does not move out and meet the people outside, which by no stretch of imagination can be described ‘A Security cover provided to him’. He has always asked for the removal of the police contingent and has also approached the High Court of J&K in 2009 which has declared him a free man to go anywhere, he would like but the authorities have not honoured the order of the High Court, for which contempt proceedings have also been filed against them,” the statement added.
“Last time on 31st of August, 2016, when President of the Bar Association along with Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Advocate wanted to meet Syed Ali Geelani and they were not allowed the entry, S P Budgam, Abdul Waheed, in the evening conveyed to Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Advocate, that he is extremely sorry for the police action and that it is because of some misunderstanding that they were not allowed to meet Syed Ali Geelani and that they are free to meet him anytime they like. However, today when cops didn’t allow the president to meet Syed Ali Geelani, he called S P Budgam and enquired from him, as to why the policemen are not allowing him to meet Geelani. On this S P Waheed informed the president that he will talk to the higher authorities and would call him back. The president waited for about 15 minutes and when he heard nothing from the S P he left the spot. Thus the method and manner, in which the President of the Bar Association was treated by the police officials and was not allowed to meet Syed Ali Geelani, clearly shows that there is nothing in the hands of a Head of the police in any District of Kashmir and everything is monitored by Delhi and even for a small thing, like the present one, the S P had to seek permission from the higher authorities and more likely from the Home Minister of India. This also exposes the double standards of the police authorities in dealing with the people of Kashmir. While one standard is for a Kashmiris who want to meet a person, who is constantly under house from 2009 and is in need of a legal advice, but he is not allowed to meet him without giving any reasons therefor, the other standard is for those who come from outside to meet Geelani without they having been called by him and even though Geelani is not willing to them, he is asked to open the gate of his house for them and on his not agreeing to do so, he is accused of having not adhered to the principles of Insaaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat, as if the ruthless forces are observing those principles of Insaaniyat and Jamhooriyat, while killing, blinding and maiming thousands of unarmed civilians who want that the promises made to them be fulfilled and they be given a chance to decide about their future by exercising the right of self-determination, in a fair and impartial plebiscite to be conducted under the auspices of UN,” the statement said.
“One wonders as to why in the first case, the aforesaid principle of Insaaniyat and Jamhooriyat is not adhered to and why in the second case, it is insisted to be adhered to, ignoring the fact that those, who are propounding this theory are the architects of let losing a reign of terror in the Kashmir valley and in which, from 08.07.2016 till now, 80 innocents have been killed, more than 700 have been blinded in one or in both eyes, and around 11000 have been injured by bullets and pellets,” the Bar said.
“The Bar Associations once again wants to make it clear to the authorities that while a person is under house arrest, he is not stripped of any of his fundamental rights, the most important being the Right to Communicate with his lawyer and pursue any remedy available to him under law. It is arbitrary, unreasonable, irrational and against the fundamental freedoms recognized by the International Law, not to allow any person to pursue the legal remedy, available to him under law or meet his counsel of his choice. The non-observance of these basic fundamentals of human dignity, are bound to bring disgrace to those who infringe these rights with impunity,” the statement said.
The statement said that Bar condemned the killing of Sayar Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Ganaw Pora Shopian, who was killed by a policeman “hiding” in a lane, with pellet gun from a very close range, by targeting his head.
“As he fell down, three CRPF troopers came near him and shot a tear smoke canister again on his head, which spilled his brain matter on the road. The ruthless forces then gave him violent kicks on his belly and when they sensed that he is dead, they went away,” the statement added.
The Bar Associations also condemns the killing of another youth Yawar Ahmad Dar at Botengo, who was also fired pellets and tear smoke shells resulting into his death.
The Bar Associations also condemns the killing of Abdul Qayoom Wangnoo of Aali Kadal, who was beaten to death by CRPF troopers at Gooripora Sanat Nagar Srinagar and in order to get away with the commission of the crime, the police later described his death “falsely”, because of road accident.
The Bar Association also condemned the killing of another youth Javid Ahmad Dar resident of Wadwan, who got injured on 05.08.2016 by pellets and succumbed to his injuries today.
The statement further said that the Bar condemned the use of force against the innocent civilians at Karimabad Pulwama, wherein more than 150 people got severely injured, out of whom 17 were rushed to Srinagar in a critical condition.
