Scores of men, women and children took to streets in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district against the youth arrests. Witnesses said that the protesters, chanting pro-freedom slogans, staged a protest in Rahmoo village to demand the release of youths arrested during a forces’ raid. They said that during the raid two youth Bilal Ahmed Dar and Hilal Ahmed Itoo were picked up and lodged in police station Pulwama. The protesters said that both the youth are innocent.
A massive protest was also staged in Pulwama against the arrest of a cleric Maulana Sajad Hashmi and his two brothers Shabir Ahmed and Shahnawz Ahmed. Hashmi is a preacher at Central Jamia Masjid Nagabal Shopian who along with his two brothers was arrested during a nocturnal raid at Rajpora Pulwama.
Government Forces meanwhile resorted to tear-gas shelling and pellet firing to disperse agitated protesters who were protesting against the raid on Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activist Muhammad Yousuf Falai at Chitragam village of Shopian district. Reports said that Government Forces raided the house of Falai that sparked protest. The protesters hit the roads while forces fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse them. The clashes that continued for hours left all but 9 persons wounded.
Meanwhile, a Hurriyat leader from southern Pulwama district was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Thursday. Manzoor Ahmad Baghat was arrested few days back near District Hospital Pulwama. Reports said that Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activist Baghat of Ruhmoo village of Pulwama district was booked under the stringent act. He is likely to be shifted to a jail in Kathua in Jammu region, they said.
Clashes erupted in Tahab village of Pulwama also after government forces arrested three people, including two minors.
Reports and witnesses said that people took to streets in Tahab to protest against the arrests. They said that forces resorted to teargas shelling on the protesters, triggering massive clashes.