INDIA CONTINUES TO COMMIT WORST STATE TERRORISM IN IOK: FO

IOK BAR ASSOCIATION SEEKS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT AGAINST USE OF PELLET GUNS PAKISTAN THANKS OIC FOR SHOWING SUPPORT TO ITS KASHMIR STANCE

PAKISTAN on Tuesday strongly condemned continued illegal detention of Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez by Indian forces, while urging for his immediate release. In a statement, the Foreign Office said the human rights activist had been slapped with a draconian law dubbed “Public Safety Act,” and had been arrested on flimsy grounds.

The FO said that Human rights organisations including Amnesty International had urged India for his immediate and unconditional release. Pakistan also demanded India to refrain from stifling the voices of human rights defenders and media personnel in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, India had refused to grant permission to the jailed activist to travel to Geneva to participate in the ongoing session of UN Human Rights Council. The Foreign Office expressed deep concern over India’s continued violations of human rights and involvement in state terrorism in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

MORE PROTESTS: Meanwhile, forceful demonstrations were held in Kishtwar town after Indian police conducted overnight raids to arrest people protesting against the killings of civilians in the Indian-occupied valley. At least six persons were injured due to violence by the Indian police.

During fresh raids, several people including a government employee, Ajaz Ahmed Kelam of Fareedia Mohallah, was arrested. Kelam, who works with the Sheep Husbandry Department, has been charged with sedition and instigating youth to participate in anti-India protests. The police raids were aimed at arresting Qari Manzoor Ganai, imam of Bunastan Masjid, who gave a raiding police team a slip on Saturday night. Two others, Abdul Qayoom Baghwan and Saif-ud-Din Baghwan, were arrested during the raid, booked under draconian Public Safety Act and sent to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. The authorities had imposed curfew in Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Doda districts on Sunday to stop people from holding protests against the arrests and police highhandedness.

Meanwhile, Muslims observed complete shutdown in Bhaderwah and Doda districts against the arrest of three people, including two imams, and against the imposition of curfew. Shops, other business establishments and some private schools of the Muslim community remained closed. The shutdown call was issued by Anjuman-e-Islamia Bhaderwah and Markazi Seerat Committee Doda against the arrest of people and raids in Kishtwar at the behest of some RSS-backed politicians and bureaucrats.

OIC THANKED: Kashmiri Hurriyet forum leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has thanked the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for reaffirming its support to the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris and resolution of the Kashmir dispute at the annual coordination meeting of its foreign ministers.

“All the people of Jammu and Kashmir from Kashmir to Chenab to Pir Panjal to Kargil and Drass are speaking

loud and clear in one voice, asking for the right to self-determination. There are no so-called multiple regional narratives. Despite the tremendous onslaught against them they continue to stage peaceful protest demonstrations and marches while the so-called democratic government continues to impose strict curfew, restrictions and curbs, ransacks residential houses, kills innocent civilians and make arbitrary arrest to break their will,” he said.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT SOUGHT AGAINST PELLET GUNS: Indian Occupied Kashmir High Court Bar Association has sought intervention of international community to force India to stop use of pellet guns on protesters in the territory.

The HCBA in a statement issued in Srinagar terming the use of pellet guns by Indian forces as barbaric and inhuman, said its members visited various hospitals and found 890 victims with pellet injuries admitted for treatment from July 9, 2016, to September 25, 2016.

“As per the certificate issued by the Indian Ordinance Factory, Pune, pellet guns are to be used for scaring animals or for hunting birds,” the statement read, adding details inflicted by pellets on humans. It stated that Showkat Ahmad Lone, resident of Hajin had told the Bar team that he was a carpet weaver and father of two daughters aged 3 and 2 years. “He said that on September 2, he received pellet injuries in both of his eyes, when he was in his orchard and was fired upon by the forces,” the statement said.

The HCBA also profiled case of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din War, a resident of Magam Handwara, who is said to have been injured on Eid while he was sacrificing a goat. “Police opened the gate of his house and fired pellets at him, which hit his right eye”, said the statement.