Srinagar
The Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik called for a protest strike on Sunday (February 24) against the mass arrests, nocturnal raids, censorship and any tampering with 35A.
JRL in a statement issued on Saturday, said that the arrest of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik and the mass crackdown and illegal detention of more than 150 Jamat-e-Islami cadre and leadership including its Ameer Abdul Hamid Fayaz in nocturnal raids across the valley looks to be not only part of the continued policy of “suppression of pro-self-determination leadership and narrative, but in the case of hearing of 35A in Indian Supreme Court most likely on Monday, an indication of what may be expected.”
JRL strongly condemns this “dictatorial policy” of cracking the whip and arbitrary arrests against Kashmiris by those calling the shots in J&K, the joint statement said.
The leadership said that deployment of additional 100 companies of paramilitary forces on an urgent basis also indicates that “something is cooking in this regard.”
The resistance leadership said that the challenge to heredity state subject law is an extremely important issue for the people as it is akin to our very existence as a people and directly linked to the Kashmir dispute.
“Leadership said the spontaneous shutdown and protests across the valley against even the thought of tampering with the law should leave no doubt in the minds of those who have left no stone unturned to choke and muzzle the voice of Kashmir and are breaking records in repression, that the people of Kashmir will never allow it. JRL said entire people and pro-people leadership of J&K are one on this,” the statement said.
The JRL also denounced the “pressure tactics” being used by the authorities on certain media houses reporting in Kashmir.
“The standard of factual reporting maintained by our journalist is highly commendable,” said JRL in a statement.
