Srinagar, Mar 13 (KNS): The resistance leaders on Monday said that various leaders and activists from united resistance leadership were today arrested by police when they were protesting against the plight of Kashmiri inmates languishing in various jails and police stations.
According to the statement issued to KNS, the spokesman said that the arrested included Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Gazi Javed Baba, Advocate Yasir Dalal, Abdul Rashid Lone, Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ramzan Khooru and Meraj ud din Paray.
Prior to these arrests, joint resistance leaders gathered at Basant Bagh Chowk as all roads leading towards Maisuma had been blocked by police with razor wire and other barricades.
Leaders including Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi, Meraj ud din Rabbani, Syed Imtiyaz Haider, Ghulam Muhammad Nagoo, Gazi Javed Baba, Muhammad Ramzan Khan, Ali Muhammad Rather and Rameez Raja from Hurriyat (G), Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Farooq Ahmad Sodagar, Advocate Molvi Ashraf, Advocate Yasir Dalal ,Muhammad Sideeq Hazari and Muhammad Yaqoob Masoodi from Hurriyat (M) and Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Zahoor Ahmad Butt, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Muhammad Sideeq Shah, Javed Ahmad Butt, Gulzar Ahmad Pahalwan and Mushtaq Ahmad Koreg from JKLF along with hundreds of people staged a peaceful sit-in at Basant Bagh Chowk.
The statement reads that the police had cordoned the protesters from all sides and laid a siege around the area of Maisuma and Gawkadal came into action and after using brute force dispersed the peaceful protest.
The spokesman said that the police on the occasion arrested many from the spot and shifted them to police station.
The statement adds that to foil the protest called by the leadership, police started its ‘oppressive program’ and not only arrested JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik last evening and shifted him to central jail Srinagar but also placed Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umer Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Asharf Sehraie, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Aasiya Andrabi and others under house arrest.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“Police has also arrested Firdous Ahmad Shah from his residence. Police also raided the residence of JKLF leader Muhammad Yasin Butt and terrorized his wife who was alone at her house at the time of raid,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, prior to today’s arrests, many leaders addressed the protesters at Basant Bagh Chowk.
The speakers said that by banning a peaceful sit-in cum seminar program, the rulers and their authorities have once again actually shown their anti-people and anti-democratic approach.
“Despite many tall claims, the rulers only know to suppress people’s voices by police and military might which is highly condemnable, asserted speakers,” the speakers according to the statement said.
Terming the plight of Kashmiri inmates languishing in various jails and police station as ‘deplorable’, speakers said, “Thousands of Kashmiris are facing oppression in jails and police stations and even court orders regarding them are not being honored by police and authorities.”
Slapping PSA’s on those arrested, torturing and humiliating inmates and prolonging the incarceration of those arrested has become the order of the day.
While praising the courage and resilience of people in jails and police stations, speakers said, “There are dozens who are in jails from many years and thousands who were arrested from last six months and are braving hardships with passion.”
Speakers said that the sacrifices rendered by the inmates are ‘glorious chapter of our resistance history’ and today’s protest sit-in and seminar was intended on highlighting these sacrifices and hardships. (KNS)