Afia Ambreen
In Indian Occupied Kashmir, at least six Kashmiris were martyred during a military operation by Indian forces at Firsal in Kulgam district. The four of the six Kashmiri martyrs have been identified as Mudasir Ahmad Tantray, Vakil Thokar, Farooq Ahmad Butt and Mohammad Younis Lone. As soon as the news about the siege spread, hundreds of people from adjoining areas marched towards the spot. Clashes took place at several places when the Indian forces tried to prevent the marchers from moving ahead. Many people were injured when the forces fired pellets, bullets and used teargas shells on the protesters. The police action was so severe that news reporters who had gone there for coverage had to take refuge in nearby houses. Media reports said that around two dozen people were brought to Islamabad district hospital, mostly with bullet injuries. Some of the critically injured were referred to Soura Medical hospital, Srinagar. Ironically, the troops shot dead the Kashmiris in vengeance after three Indian troops were killed and many injured in a clash in the area.
It is important to mention that Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Syed Ali Gilani while lashing out at India for civilian killings has said that Indian forces are involved in serious war crimes in the territory. Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar strongly criticized the forces for killing civilians including Ashiq Reshi and Mushtaq Ahmed Itoo and injuring scores of people in indiscriminate firing at Frisal in Kulgam district. He said that opening fire on unarmed people and making civilians as shield shows the height of state terrorism. Moreover, reacting to the statement of a puppet minister wherein he has called for an enquiry into the Kulgam episode, Syed Ali Gilani said, “It is just mockery and simply eyewash. They are not sincere and it is their ploy to cool down the public resentment.” “They are enjoying the impunity under draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and it provides them a license to kill anybody their free will,” he said, and asked for investigation of such events by some international agencies. “Arrogance of power, stubborn and inflexible approach of India is the basic cause that our youth are joining armed struggle,” he added. “They are local youth and are exhibiting their valor against the brutalities of India,” he said. Suggesting the Indian rulers to read writing on the wall, the octogenarian leader said Kashmiri people are striving for right to self -determination for the past seven decades and it is ridiculous to blame Pakistan for so-called inter border insurgency.
In a strong reaction, Pakistan said acts of state terrorism by India continued unabated. Pakistan described the killings as a continued act of state terrorism and said India was blatantly committing crimes against humanity and against defenceless Kashmiris. The Foreign Office urged the United Nations, human rights organisations across the globe and the international community to act to stop bloodshed of Kashmiris by India. Since the current phase of uprising started in the wake of the extrajudicial killing of youth leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8, hundreds of Kashmiris had died at the hands of Indian troops. Indians forces have deliberately used pellet guns, injuring over 7,000 Kashmiris. The pellet gunshots blinded, completely or partially, over a thousand people, including children. On the other hand, the constant terrorist activities of RSS and its affiliates in IOK with the state’s backing, arbitrary arrests of thousands of Kashmiris with their fate remaining unknown, continued detention of Hurriyat leaders, disappearances and fake encounters, and blatant use of draconian laws to silence Kashmiris’ voice are highly deplorable.
Nonetheless, Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule. It is a matter of great disappointment that India remains adamant in not allowing independent investigation into grave human rights violations in held Kashmir as repeatedly called for by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, various countries’ parliamentarians and civil society members. The international community should take steps to ensure independent investigations without delay.
