Violence erupted in parts of Kashmir Valley on Friday and normal life was affected by separatists’ shutdown call over the death sentence pronounced against a Kashmiri youth in West Bengal recently.
Fresh violence took place, leaving several protesters and security personnel injured, in the wake of the protest call issued jointly by separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Geelani and Yasin Malik.
On January 21, a Bengal court had sentenced three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including two Pakistanis, to death for “carrying arms and trying to cross over illegally into India” in 2007. Among the convicts, Muzaffar Ahmed Rather, belonged to south Kashmir’s Kulgam. Mr. Mirwaiz, who was scheduled to spearhead a protest march in support of Rather, was placed under house arrest. “The institution of judiciary in India is time and again used by the Indian State to punish the people of J&K for their political views and aspirations. Death sentence to Ahmad on flimsy grounds of sedition, when there is no substantial evidence against him, is a mockery of justice,” alleged Mr. Mirwaiz, who heads a faction of the Hurriyat.
Another Hurriyat faction chairman Geelani, who was discharged from hospital, called for release of Ahmad and other detainees. “All these detainees are not criminals and are being victimised for pursuing a political movement,” said Mr. Geelani. JKLF chief Yasin Malik termed the court verdict as “murder of justice”. “In the past, the Indian judicial system executed Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru in a similar fashion. This kind of judicial miscarriage will be resisted,” Mr. Malik said.
LeT militant held
Amid violent protests by locals,Amid violence, security forces arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant in Pulwama. A police official said Pulwama’s Nowpora-Payeen, Lassipora areas were cordoned off to nab hiding militants. However, locals resorted to stone pelting to help the militants.
“During the search, movement of a suspected militant was noticed. from one of the houses towards the mosque. He was asked to come out and services of village elders were also utilised. Later, the holed up militant came out and was apprehended,” the police said.
The arrested militant was identified as Manzoor Ahmed Ganaie, a resident of Pulwama’s Nowpora-Payeen. Ganaie had joined militancy a few weeks ago.
