KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The planned set up of Pandit and Sainik colonies in Kashmir sparked protest demonstrations in different towns of Valley on Friday. The protests were held after Friday congregational prayers.
Further, people across Kashmir prayed for Kashmiri prisoners. Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani had asked people to observe Friday as ‘Solidarity with Kashmir Prisoner’.
The call for protests against the establishment was given by Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Senior resistance leader and deputy of Geelani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai led a peaceful protest march at Hyderpora that was attended by hundreds of people.
Geelani remains under continuous house detention since he returned from New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, Sehrai said, “it is policy and plan of the Indian sponsored government to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Sehrai is Secretary General of Geelani led Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir.
“The idea to create separate townships for Pandits across Kashmir Valley has borrowed by India from Zionist country – Israel. It will be disastrous for us if we fail to stop the onslaught of the state government at this juncture. The idea of separate colonies is aimed at to create states within state,” he said.
On the occasion, Sehrai led prayers for the Kashmiri prisoners. Seeking release of all the detainees, the Hurriyat leader sought immediate release of youth arrested on Wednesday in Bemina area. Geelani’s personal secretary, Peer Saifullah addressed the faithful in Jamia Masjid Hyderpora.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front activists led by vice-chairperson Advocate Bashir Ahmed Bhat took out a protest march in Maisuma Srinagar.
Carrying banners and placards the protesters denounced the concept of separate townships for migrant Pandits. The protesters threatened of stir in case government did not shelve the idea of proposed plans to set up Sainik Colony and separate Pandit townships here.
Earlier in the day, JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik was arrested at Pampore when he was on way to Islamabad.
Violent protests and clashes were reported from South Kashmir’s Kulgam and Islamabad districts.
In Islamabad, protesters shouting slogans in favour of Kashmir’s freedom and against the plans to establishment Sainik and Pandit colonies marched from Ahle-Hadith Jamia Masjid to Lal Chowk in the town.
Police burst tear-smoke shells and used pellets to disperse the protesters resulting in the injury of a youth.
Witnesses told CNS that the youth suffered eye injury after forces fired pellet guns to break up demonstrations in Reshi Bazar area of the town.
Witnesses said that youths took to streets and staged a demonstration at Reshi Bazar near Hanfia Jamia Masjid. To disperse the protesters, police lobbed chili grenades and teargas shells. The clashes spread to other old town areas.
Earlier, JKLF leaders Sheikh Rashid and Noor Muhammad Kalwal addressed people at Jamia Masjid Hanfia to campaign for poll boycott.
In Kulgam, police reportedly resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters who were on roads to denounce the idea of separate colonies concept.
The protesters also castigated ruling PDP for supporting and aiding BJP to “change” the Muslim demographic character of the state.
A police said that they didn’t resort to aerial firing. “It was an accidental fire and nothing else,” he said.
In old Srinagar, there were intense clashes between police and youth outside Jamia Masjid Srinagar.
A rally was taken out from Jamia Masjid that was led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
However, after the departure of Mirwaiz, the clashes erupted in the area while police used dozens of tear-smoke shells and pellets to disperse the anti-Indian protesters. Several people including a policeman sustained injuries during the clashes.
Chairperson Hurriyat Conference (m) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq strongly condemned the “brutal use of force” by forces in various areas of old city especially around Jamia Masjid, Srinagar in which a number of persons have got injured, a statement issued by the amalgam here read.
Mirwaiz described it as completely “fascist and dictatorial attitude of the government to harass and coerce into submission” the population of Srinagar.
