kashmir insight december 2015

INSIGHTKASHMIR

Monthly

21st Year of Publication

December 2015

Vol: 21 No. 12

Thousands attend funeral of martyred

youth in IOK

Nawaz Sharif reaffirms Pakistans support

to Kashmiris

Anti-India demos mark Modis visit

to UK

Kashmiris express resentment over Modi's visitKashmiris express resentment over Modi's visitComplete shutdown observed in IOK Complete shutdown observed in IOK

Pakistan does not consider the Kashmir dispute as a geographical or border issue, but a dispute over the implementation of the principle on which the formula of partition of subcontinent was settled in 1947. Pakistan will stick to its policy of extending diplomatic, political and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination and freedom as promised by the UN.

(Pakistans Prime Minister, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif,

in a letter to the Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Aasiya Andrabi.

The letter was released by the DeM in Srinagar on November 13, 2015.)

Pakistan to continue supporting Kashmir cause: Nawaz

Printed & Published byAll Parties Hurriyet Conference AJK

House # 389-B, Street # 85, I/8-4 Islamabad.Ph: +92-51-4861457, Fax: +92-51-4861458

Email: [email protected]: Web Brothers, Printers, Publishers

Al-Rehman Plaza, 44-H, Haider Road, RawalpindiPh:051-5566348, Fax: 051-5516142

Editor:

Kashmir Insight DECEMBER 2015

C O N T E N T S

EditorialGrowing Hindu fundamentalism in India - a cause of concern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

Cover StoryKashmiris express resentment over Modi's visit . . . . . . . . 03

ReportsThousands attend funeral of martyred youth in IOK. . . . . 07Kashmiris observe Jammu Martyrs Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Nawaz Sharif reaffirms Pakistans support to Kashmiris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

ArticleModis elephant in the roomDr Ghulam Nabi Fai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

PictorialImages speak louder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Human rights situationHR violations in IOK during November 2015Raies Ahmed Mir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

ReportsAnti-India demos mark Modis visit to UK . . . . . . . . . . 21IOK authorities disallow Gilani's forum to hold seminar in Srinagar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Over 2,300 women martyred, 10,000 molested in IOK since 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ArticleStruggle in KashmirMalik Muhammad Ashraf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

ChronologyA chronological account of developments on Kashmir (112) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Beauty thy name isManasbal Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Literature

The clever thief and an ignorant farmer . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Feedback

Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

M Raza MalikSub Editor: Benazir KhanArt Editor: M.Haroon

From The Editor's DeskHundreds of people staged protest demonstrations on November 12 and 13, 2015, in London and other cities of the United Kingdom to protest Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modis visit to the country. The protesters had gathered outside Downing Street before moving down to Parliament Square to mark a day of protest on November 12, as the Modi Not Welcome campaign by the Awaaz Network and CasteWatch, UK, was joined by Britain-based Kashmiris, Sikhs, Dalits, Tamils, Gujaratis and Nepalese.The protesters carried placards condemning extremist policies of the Indian government and its closing of eyes towards growing intolerance against minorities in India. They also shouted slogans, Modi go home, Modi not welcome and David Cameron shame shame as the Indian prime minister was received by his British counterpart at about lunchtime.A large number of people who had come from across the UK held similar protests outside the Wembley Stadium in London on November 13 when Narendra Modi was addressing a gathering there. British film director, Leslee Udwin, was at the forefront of the protests, calling on the Indian government to lift the ban on her documentary about the gang rape on a New Delhi bus of a young student who later died of her horrific injuries.Pertinently, Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist who was elected as Indian Prime Minister, last year, was banned entry to the UK, US and several European countries until 2012 after anti-Muslim riots a decade earlier in Gujarat in which more than two thousand Muslims were killed. He was chief minister of the Gujarat state at that time. The Amnesty International and other rights groups have accused his government of fostering a climate that has encouraged the growing violence against the religious minorities and permitting wider human rights abuses. Scores of prominent Indian artists, writers and scientists have returned prestigious national awards to protest against attacks on intellectuals and minorities including the lynching of a Muslim villager who was suspected - wrongly - to have beef in his fridge by a Hindu mob for whom the cow is a sacred animal.Unfortunately, Modi-led Indian government is imposing its nefarious agenda in occupied Kashmir, putting the centuries-old communal harmony in the territory at stake.The forceful protests on Indian Prime Minister's visit to the UK were the expression of resentment over the victimisation of minorities by the fanatics of extremist Hindu organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated radical groups. The world community must take cognisance of BJP-led Indian governments actions and initiate measures towards ensuring the safety of religious minorities and marginalised communities in India.

Growing Hindu fundamentalism in India - a cause of concernIn India, secularism is probably the most abused word. From Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) there is no political party which does not call itself secular and likewise there is none which does not accuse the rest of being pseudo-secular. However, Indias claims of being a secular country stand totally exposed after the inception of present BJP-led regime.Since Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist and leader of the rightwing BJP, became prime minister of India in May 2014, groups of radical Hindu nationalists have stepped-up their activities of terrorising religious minorities across the country. According to a leading Christian rights group, at least 600 such attacks by Hindu extremists took place between Modi's election and August of this year. 149 of these assaults were against Christians - the rest were targeted at the Muslim community. Critics say that the attacks are being orchestrated by radical groups affiliated to the extremist Hindu organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Narendra Modi is a lifelong member of the RSS and the backing of its members was crucial in helping his BJP party win the 2014 election. Since then, emboldened by the election results, Modi's most extreme nationalist supporters have routinely taken to the streets, using violence and intimidation to press their claim for a purely Hindu India.Minorities particularly Muslims are being forced to convert to Hinduism, homes are being burnt down and people are even being killed for allegedly consuming beef as cows enjoy special status in the Hindu faith. At the same time, Hindu nationalists are rewriting school textbooks in some states and holding training

camps for teenage boys and girls to inculcate Hindutva ideology in them.The gunning down of a 77-year-old scholar M M Kalburgi, an outspoken critic of Hindu idol worship, on his own doorstep in August, this year, the killing of communist leader, Govind Pansare, in February near Mumbai and murdering of the activist, Narendra Dabholkar, in 2013, for campaigning against religious superstitions are glaring examples of growing Hindu fundamentalism in India. The killing of a Muslim, Akhlaq Ahmed, on the mere suspicion of consuming beef and threats to Bollywood stars like Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan for criticising the extremist policies depict the real situation in the country.Intellectuals, artists, poets and scholars are strongly protesting the increasing intolerance in India and dozens of them have even returned their national awards to express their resentment against the phenomenon.The prevailing situation proves the fact that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was justified in his demand for separate homeland for the Muslims as he had rightly anticipated that future of Muslim community was not safe under the influence of Hindu majority. It also vindicates the Kashmiris struggle for freedom from Indian occupation and, as such, the passing of Accession to Pakistan R e s o l u t i o n b y t h e K a s h m i r i representatives in Srinagar on July 19, 1947, was a right step in the right direction.The world community must take cognisance of the dangerous designs of the RSS and BJP against the religious minorities in India and put pressure on the Indian government to rein in the Hindu zealots to save the m e m b e r s o f t h e m i n o r i t y communities from their wrath.

KASHMIR INSIGHT DECEMBER 2015 0202

paramilitary personnel sitting in plain clothes, the activists of BJP a n d p r o - I n d i a P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) and non-Kashmiris who had been brought from different parts of India.Meanwhile, Hurriyet leaders, Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Zafar Akbar Butt, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in their statements strongly denounced the imposition of curbs by the authorities to prevent the Million March. They hailed the people for observing shutdown on Narendra Modis visit to occu-pied Kashmir. They also rejected t h e e c o n o m i c p a c k a g e announced by Narendra Modi saying that Kashmir was not an issue of development but an issue concerning the future of millions of Kashmiris.The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, in a statement said that the strike was a refer-endum in support of Kashmirs freedom and a clear message to India that the Kashmiris didnt believe in the so-called Indian democracy. The people of Kashmir once again showed the world that they do not see their

future with India, he said, adding that the arrests and restrictions could not intimidate the people of Kashmir into submission.He said that the use of undemo-cratic and unconstitutional means for making the rally of Indian Prime Minister successful was ridiculous and a big joke. He added that if the Million March called by the resistance leader-ship would have been allowed, the puppet administration would have seen the real crowd unlike a handful of people hired by it for Modis rally.He said that economic package was a non- i s sue for the Kashmiris but right to self-determination was the real issue

for them and they had offered supreme sacrifices for securing this right. He said, New Delhi is not doing any favour to the Kashmiri people by announcing economic packages, but it is their right as they pay huge taxes and also New Delhi has been plun-dering their resources for the past over six decades.The Al l Part ies Hurr iyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz U m a r F a r o o q , w h i l e commending the people for observing the complete strike to register their protest against Modis visit and his govern-ments Kashmir policy said, The brave Kashmiris have once again given a clear message to the Indian leadership and the international community that the sacrifices offered and the innumerable hardships faced by them for the past more than 67 years are for the cause of achieving the basic right, the right to self-determination.He deplored that the Indian leadership continues to turn a blind eye towards the real issue. Instead of addressing the root cause, they keep hacking the leaves by talking of develop-ment, governance and economic well-being, as if that will alter anything. Had it been so, for the

In occupied Kashmir, people observed complete shutdown, marked by forceful anti-India protests, during the visit of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the occupied territory on November 7, 2015, to convey a message to the world that they reject Indias illegal hold on Jammu and Kashmir.All shops, business establish-ments and educational institu-tions remained closed while traffic was off the road. People released black balloons in Srinagar to express their resent-ment against the visit of Narendra Modi.The occupation authorities had taken unprecedented security measures and turned Srinagar into a fortress. Mobile and i n t e r n e t s e r v i c e s w e r e suspended in the city. The authorities had also imposed curfew and restrictions in Srinagar and other major towns

by deploying Indian troops and police personnel in strength. The action was aimed at stopping the people from conducting the Million March at TRC ground in Srinagar, call for which was given by the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, and was supported by other pro-freedom leaders.Despite strict restrictions, people staged anti-India demonstra-tions in Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, Islamabad, Pulwama, Kulgam, Bandipore, Pampore and other areas and tried to conduct the march. However, Indian troops and police personnel stopped them from heading towards the TRC ground. Indian forces personnel used brute force against the demonstrators at various places, causing injuries to several persons. An engineering student, Gowhar Ahmed Dar, was killed

and about a dozen people were injured when Indian troops opened fire on peaceful demon-strators in Zainakote area of Srinagar.Indian police had arrested Syed Ali Gilani, Zamruda Habib and many other Hurriyet leaders and activists from different areas of Srinagar when they tried to march towards the TRC ground. All other Hurriyet leaders were kept under house arrest or illegal detention to stop them from leading the march.Indian police had even arrested the member of the so-called Kashmir Assembly, Engineer Abdur Rasheed, after he waved black flag at his residence to protest against Modis visit.Although Narendra Modi addressed a gathering in Srinagar during his visit to Kashmir, however media reports said that most of the participants were Indian military and

Cover Story

KASHMIR INSIGHT DECEMBER 2015 0303 KASHMIR INSIGHT DECEMBER 2015 0404

Cover Story

paramilitary personnel sitting in plain clothes, the activists of BJP a n d p r o - I n d i a P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) and non-Kashmiris who had been brought from different parts of India.Meanwhile, Hurriyet leaders, Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Zafar Akbar Butt, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in their statements strongly denounced the imposition of curbs by the authorities to prevent the Million March. They hailed the people for observing shutdown on Narendra Modis visit to occu-pied Kashmir. They also rejected t h e e c o n o m i c p a c k a g e announced by Narendra Modi saying that Kashmir was not an issue of development but an issue concerning the future of millions of Kashmiris.The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, in a statement said that the strike was a refer-endum in support of Kashmirs freedom and a clear message to India that the Kashmiris didnt believe in the so-called Indian democracy. The people of Kashmir once again showed the world that they do not see their

future with India, he said, adding that the arrests and restrictions could not intimidate the people of Kashmir into submission.He said that the use of undemo-cratic and unconstitutional means for making the rally of Indian Prime Minister successful was ridiculous and a big joke. He added that if the Million March called by the resistance leader-ship would have been allowed, the puppet administration would have seen the real crowd unlike a handful of people hired by it for Modis rally.He said that economic package was a non- i s sue for the Kashmiris but right to self-determination was the real issue

for them and they had offered supreme sacrifices for securing this right. He said, New Delhi is not doing any favour to the Kashmiri people by announcing economic packages, but it is their right as they pay huge taxes and also New Delhi has been plun-dering their resources for the past over six decades.The Al l Part ies Hurr iyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz U m a r F a r o o q , w h i l e commending the people for observing the complete strike to register their protest against Modis visit and his govern-ments Kashmir policy said, The brave Kashmiris have once again given a clear message to the Indian leadership and the international community that the sacrifices offered and the innumerable hardships faced by them for the past more than 67 years are for the cause of achieving the basic right, the right to self-determination.He deplored that the Indian leadership continues to turn a blind eye towards the real issue. Instead of addressing the root cause, they keep hacking the leaves by talking of develop-ment, governance and economic well-being, as if that will alter anything. Had it been so, for the

In occupied Kashmir, people observed complete shutdown, marked by forceful anti-India protests, during the visit of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the occupied territory on November 7, 2015, to convey a message to the world that they reject Indias illegal hold on Jammu and Kashmir.All shops, business establish-ments and educational institu-tions remained closed while traffic was off the road. People released black balloons in Srinagar to express their resent-ment against the visit of Narendra Modi.The occupation authorities had taken unprecedented security measures and turned Srinagar into a fortress. Mobile and i n t e r n e t s e r v i c e s w e r e suspended in the city. The authorities had also imposed curfew and restrictions in Srinagar and other major towns

by deploying Indian troops and police personnel in strength. The action was aimed at stopping the people from conducting the Million March at TRC ground in Srinagar, call for which was given by the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, and was supported by other pro-freedom leaders.Despite strict restrictions, people staged anti-India demonstra-tions in Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, Islamabad, Pulwama, Kulgam, Bandipore, Pampore and other areas and tried to conduct the march. However, Indian troops and police personnel stopped them from heading towards the TRC ground. Indian forces personnel used brute force against the demonstrators at various places, causing injuries to several persons. An engineering student, Gowhar Ahmed Dar, was killed

and about a dozen people were injured when Indian troops opened fire on peaceful demon-strators in Zainakote area of Srinagar.Indian police had arrested Syed Ali Gilani, Zamruda Habib and many other Hurriyet leaders and activists from different areas of Srinagar when they tried to march towards the TRC ground. All other Hurriyet leaders were kept under house arrest or illegal detention to stop them from leading the march.Indian police had even arrested the member of the so-called Kashmir Assembly, Engineer Abdur Rasheed, after he waved black flag at his residence to protest against Modis visit.Although Narendra Modi addressed a gathering in Srinagar during his visit to Kashmir, however media reports said that most of the participants were Indian military and

Cover Story

past over sixty years, many economic packages and develop-mental plans have time and again been announced, but that have not in any way changed the fundamental nature of the problem, nor have they helped in coming near to a resolution of the issue, he said.The Mirwaiz said that Kashmir was a political issue that could not be addressed by announcing financial packages or economic incentives.The illegally detained senior Hurriyet leader, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, in a statement in Srinagar strongly condemned the imposi-tion of curbs, restrictions and turning of entire Kashmir Valley into a military garrison on the visit of Narendra Modi. "Not only were 30 ,000 forces personnel deployed in Srinagar city for Modi's rally but also h u n d r e d s o f d a i l y - w a g e , anganwari and aasha workers, non locals and female govern-ment employees were forcibly taken to the so-called rally," he pointed out.He said that economic packages were no solution to the Kashmir dispute and it was high time to settle it through dialogue process among Pakistan, India and the

genuine Kashmiri leadership for durable peace in South Asia.The unlawful ly de ta ined Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, in his statement said that the protest strike observed by the Kashmiri people should serve as an eye-opener for all including Modi that Kashmiris wanted freedom from India. Bringing people from Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and other areas and assembling them in Srinagar with Kashmiri Pheran cannot change the reality of Kashmir dispute. Nor can wearing a Pheran befool the people who have offered the supreme sacrifice of over one lakh near and dear ones, he said.

He said that India and its agents in the territory should know that economic packages would not resolve the Kashmir dispute but it needed a political package.The High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir in a statement in Srinagar said that the people of Kashmir had not offered huge sacrifices for economic packages but for achieving their right to self-determination. Indian leaders by announcing different pack-ages are only befooling them-selves. It is high time for them to understand the ground realties of Kashmir and fulfill the promise made by their predeces-sors both in and outside the Indian Parliament and also at the international fora with the people of Kashmir, it main-tained.The Hurriyet leaders also strongly denounced the cold-blooded murder of the innocent student, Gowhar Ahmed Dar, terming it as a "gift" from Modi to the people of the occupied territory on his visit. They said that the sacrifices of the Kashmiri martyrs would not be allowed to go waste and the ongoing struggle for freedom from Indian bondage would be taken to its logical conclusion at all costs.

Cover Story

0505KASHMIR INSIGHT DECEMBER 2015

Complete shutdown, marked by forceful anti-India demonstra-tions, was observed in the occupied territory on November 8 to protest against the brutal killing of the student. Defying restrictions, people took to the streets in Shalatang, Parimpora, Maisuma, Zainakote, Narabal, Bandipore, Tral, Pulwama, Sopore, Islamabad and other areas. The protesters clashed with Indian forces personnel raising high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. Indian police fired teargas shells, i n j u r i n g m a n y p e o p l e . T h e puppet authorities c o n t i n u e d t o impose restric-tions in Srinagar part icular ly in Zainakote locality for about a week a n d p u t a l l Hurriyet leaders under detention in their houses or police stations for several days. The action was aimed at stopping the l e a d e r s f r o m leading the demonstrations against the murder of Gowhar Ahmed Dar.Syed Ali Gilani while expressing grief over the killing said, It is a gift to Kashmiris on Indian Prime Minister Narender Modis visit. The killing of innocent people particularly teenage students has been a norm and a tradition of Indian occupational forces in Jammu and Kashmir.Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that on one hand, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the puppet Chief Minister of the occupied terr i tory, Muft i Muhammad Sayeed, talked non-stop about empowering youth of

Kashmir, but on the other, trigger-happy Indian troops missed no opportunity in spilling the blood of innocent Kashmiri youth.Shabbir Ahmed Shah rejected the enquiry ordered by the puppet administration into the killing and said that such probes were nothing but a tool to pacify the public anger.Muhammad Yasin Malik in his statement termed the killing as another crime committed by Modi-Mufti alliance. He said that this was another gift given by

these brutal killers to the Kashmiris.Hurriyet leaders including Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and Farooq Ahmed Dar strongly denouncing the brutal murder of Gowhar Ahmed Dar deplored that on one side, Indian Prime Minister talked about humanity and democracy and on the other, Indian armed forces continued to kill innocent Kashmiris.On the other hand, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the forum patronised by Syed Ali Gilani organised a protest demonstration outside the UN Observers Office in Islamabad.

The demonstration was aimed at protesting against the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modis visit to the Kashmir Valley and to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. The participants of the demonstration presented a memorandum to the Office for the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, regarding the human rights violations perpetrated by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir and an appeal was made to the UN Secretary General to take cognisance of the

Indian brutalities i n o c c u p i e d Kashmir.On the visit of Narendra Modi, t h e b r a v e Kashmiris once again gave a clear message to the Indian leadership and the interna-tional community that they were offering sacrifices for securing their inalienable right to self-determination and they were

ready to offer more till they were allowed to exercise this right.India needs to acknowledge the reality that its policy of repres-sion and even incentives had failed to win over the hearts of the Kashmiri people and should take steps to settle the Kashmir dispute in accordance with their aspirations.The world community must also play its role in the settlement of the Kashmir dispute to save the people of Kashmir from the Indian brutalities and for ensuring permanent peace in the region.(Humayun Aziz Sandeela)

Cover Story

past over sixty years, many economic packages and develop-mental plans have time and again been announced, but that have not in any way changed the fundamental nature of the problem, nor have they helped in coming near to a resolution of the issue, he said.The Mirwaiz said that Kashmir was a political issue that could not be addressed by announcing financial packages or economic incentives.The illegally detained senior Hurriyet leader, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, in a statement in Srinagar strongly condemned the imposi-tion of curbs, restrictions and turning of entire Kashmir Valley into a military garrison on the visit of Narendra Modi. "Not only were 30 ,000 forces personnel deployed in Srinagar city for Modi's rally but also h u n d r e d s o f d a i l y - w a g e , anganwari and aasha workers, non locals and female govern-ment employees were forcibly taken to the so-called rally," he pointed out.He said that economic packages were no solution to the Kashmir dispute and it was high time to settle it through dialogue process among Pakistan, India and the

genuine Kashmiri leadership for durable peace in South Asia.The unlawful ly de ta ined Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, in his statement said that the protest strike observed by the Kashmiri people should serve as an eye-opener for all including Modi that Kashmiris wanted freedom from India. Bringing people from Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and other areas and assembling them in Srinagar with Kashmiri Pheran cannot change the reality of Kashmir dispute. Nor can wearing a Pheran befool the people who have offered the supreme sacrifice of over one lakh near and dear ones, he said.

He said that India and its agents in the territory should know that economic packages would not resolve the Kashmir dispute but it needed a political package.The High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir in a statement in Srinagar said that the people of Kashmir had not offered huge sacrifices for economic packages but for achieving their right to self-determination. Indian leaders by announcing different pack-ages are only befooling them-selves. It is high time for them to understand the ground realties of Kashmir and fulfill the promise made by their predeces-sors both in and outside the Indian Parliament and also at the international fora with the people of Kashmir, it main-tained.The Hurriyet leaders also strongly denounced the cold-blooded murder of the innocent student, Gowhar Ahmed Dar, terming it as a "gift" from Modi to the people of the occupied territory on his visit. They said that the sacrifices of the Kashmiri martyrs would not be allowed to go waste and the ongoing struggle for freedom from Indian bondage would be taken to its logical conclusion at all costs.

Cover Story

Complete shutdown, marked by forceful anti-India demonstra-tions, was observed in the occupied territory on November 8 to protest against the brutal killing of the student. Defying restrictions, people took to the streets in Shalatang, Parimpora, Maisuma, Zainakote, Narabal, Bandipore, Tral, Pulwama, Sopore, Islamabad and other areas. The protesters clashed with Indian forces personnel raising high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. Indian police fired teargas shells, i n j u r i n g m a n y p e o p l e . T h e puppet authorities c o n t i n u e d t o impose restric-tions in Srinagar part icular ly in Zainakote locality for about a week a n d p u t a l l Hurriyet leaders under detention in their houses or police stations for several days. The action was aimed at stopping the l e a d e r s f r o m leading the demonstrations against the murder of Gowhar Ahmed Dar.Syed Ali Gilani while expressing grief over the killing said, It is a gift to Kashmiris on Indian Prime Minister Narender Modis visit. The killing of innocent people particularly teenage students has been a norm and a tradition of Indian occupational forces in Jammu and Kashmir.Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that on one hand, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the puppet Chief Minister of the occupied terr i tory, Muft i Muhammad Sayeed, talked non-stop about empowering youth of

Kashmir, but on the other, trigger-happy Indian troops missed no opportunity in spilling the blood of innocent Kashmiri youth.Shabbir Ahmed Shah rejected the enquiry ordered by the puppet administration into the killing and said that such probes were nothing but a tool to pacify the public anger.Muhammad Yasin Malik in his statement termed the killing as another crime committed by Modi-Mufti alliance. He said that this was another gift given by

these brutal killers to the Kashmiris.Hurriyet leaders including Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and Farooq Ahmed Dar strongly denouncing the brutal murder of Gowhar Ahmed Dar deplored that on one side, Indian Prime Minister talked about humanity and democracy and on the other, Indian armed forces continued to kill innocent Kashmiris.On the other hand, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the forum patronised by Syed Ali Gilani organised a protest demonstration outside the UN Observers Office in Islamabad.

The demonstration was aimed at protesting against the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modis visit to the Kashmir Valley and to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. The participants of the demonstration presented a memorandum to the Office for the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, regarding the human rights violations perpetrated by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir and an appeal was made to the UN Secretary General to take cognisance of the

Indian brutalities i n o c c u p i e d Kashmir.On the visit of Narendra Modi, t h e b r a v e Kashmiris once again gave a clear message to the Indian leadership and the interna-tional community that they were offering sacrifices for securing their inalienable right to self-determination and they were

ready to offer more till they were allowed to exercise this right.India needs to acknowledge the reality that its policy of repres-sion and even incentives had failed to win over the hearts of the Kashmiri people and should take steps to settle the Kashmir dispute in accordance with their aspirations.The world community must also play its role in the settlement of the Kashmir dispute to save the people of Kashmir from the Indian brutalities and for ensuring permanent peace in the region.(Humayun Aziz Sandeela)

Cover Story

Ramzan Khan, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Farooq Ahmed Tawheedi, Muhammad Iqbal Mir and delegations of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami and Dukhtaran-e-Millat partici-pated in the funeral of the martyrs.The All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, addressing a meeting of APHCs Executive Council in Srinagar said that India could not suppress the Kashmiris ongoing freedom movement through use of brute force. He paid glowing tributes to the sacrifices of Kashmiri youth. He said that the Kashmir dispute was an issue of the Kashmiris aspirations and it

could not be resolved through military might.The meeting expressed serious concern over the killing of youth, use of excessive force on peaceful protesters, arrests and curbs on the political activities of Hurriyet leaders. It said that

all these actions showed that the puppet rulers could go to any extent in their lust for power.Senior Hurriyet leader, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, on November 29 visited Bijbehara and paid t r ibutes to the martyrs . Addressing a gathering on the occasion, he said that the

Kashmir dispute had gained attention at the world forums due to the sacrifices rendered by the Kashmiri martyrs. No one will be allowed to play with the sacred blood of martyrs and we will continue our freedom struggle till complete success,

he added.The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, in a statement said, The freedom struggle for which the youth are offering supreme sacrifices cannot be defeated by any power in the world. He said, India and its Kashmiri collabo-rators have squeezed every space for peaceful political struggle. This is pushing young Kashmiris to the wall and they are considering other means of struggle to resist the oppression. It is the fourth generation of Kashmiris that is sacrificing itself for freedom and resolution of the Kashmir dispute. The Jammu and Kashmir National Front Chairman, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, in his statement said, These martyrs are real heroes of our freedom struggle because it is their blood which infuses life into it. So we must honour our martyrs by carrying on their mission.Hurriyet leaders including Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Syed Bashir Andrabi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori,

In occupied Kashmir, despite restrictions and heavy deploy-ment of Indian military and paramilitary personnel in Bijbehara, thousands of people on November 24, 2015, attended

the funerals of three youth who were martyred by Indian troops. Thousands of people raising pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom slogans and waving Pakistani flags participated in the funeral prayers of the martyred youth in Bijbehara. The youth identified as Adil Ahmed, Muhammad Arif and Aamir Ahmed were killed by the troops at Siligam in Ashmuqam area of Islamabad district.Normal life across the Kashmir Valley was affected on the day due to the shutdown called by the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, against the killing of the youth. In a signifi-cant development, people also hoisted Pakistani flags on the ancestral house of the puppet C h i e f M i n i s t e r , M u f t i

M u h a m m a d S a y e e d , i n Bijbehara. Several people were injured when Indian police fired teargas shells and pallets on protesters on the occasion. Enthusiastic mob rushed at the

top of Mufti Sayeeds house and the troops failed to stop them.Complete strike was observed in Bijbehara town for four consecutive days to mourn the killing of the youth. The occupat ion author i t ies had imposed curfew-like restrictions in t h e t o w n b y deploying Indian troops and police p e r s o n n e l i n strength to prevent people from staging d e m o n s t r a t i o n s against the killings. Despite restrictions, a large renumber of people participated in a prayer meeting in the town on

November 27 to pay glowing tributes to the martyred youth. Many Hurriyet leaders visited the families of the martyred youth and expressed solidarity with them.The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, who was under house detention in Srinagar, while telephonically addressing the people in Bijbehara lashed out at India and pro-India politicians for unleashing a reign of terror in the territory. He said that the Kashmiri youth were offering sacrifices for the great cause of freedom and pro-India politicians were trying to prolong the path to freedom through different tactics.Hurriyet leaders including Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, Yasmeen Raja, Bilal Siddiqi, Shabbir Ahmed Dar , Muhammad

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Thousands attend funeral of martyred youth in IOKThousands attend funeral of martyred youth in IOK