Tasavur Mushtaq
SRINAGAR
October 20
Protests rocked Kashmir University today when dozens of boys and girls from different streams of the varsity gathered outside the Vice-Chancellor’s secretariat for protest demonstration.
Raising pro-Islam and pro-Kashmir slogans, students were demanding release of their fellow M. Com third semester student, Munazir Amin of Sopore.
According to protesters, Munazir was arrested on October 17 from his residence over his brother’s alleged militant links and subsequently shifted to the headquarters of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of police. He has not been released till date despite, protesters said,
The students later on marched towards the Sir Syed Gate of University, holding placards and raising slogans and then they went to the Humanities Block where they staged demonstrations for about half an hour. They then marched to Allama Iqbal Libraray, and finally to VC’s secretariat and staged a sit-in, blocking the roadway towards the Maulana Rumi Gate, till the day’s work came to a close.
According to students who were in protest march, the university authorities have promised to take up the case with the authorities.
“The university authorities told us that they will pursue the case of his (Munazir’s) release at their own level. But so far nothing substantial appears to have been done,” the protesters told Kashmir Life.
The class work in many departments was hampered with students preferring to join protests.
Pertinent to mention that earlier, a media student, Peerzada Iqbal, was arrested on July 18 by police on charges of alleged militant links, which his family and friends denied vehemently. Iqbal was released after several days of protest by his fellow media students and intervention from the department authorities.
Condemning the arrest, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said, “Arresting a brother for a brother has no democratic or constitutional justification.
