Srinagar, Dec 19: The joint resistance leadership (JRL) on Tuesday called for complete shutdown against civilian killings saying Kashmir has been turned into a “killing field” where the lives of men, women and even children are not safe.
In a statement, the JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik appealed people to shutdown their offices, business establishments, transport and other activities for one day and raise their voice against state “aggression”.
“The brutal killings of Misra Bano and Asif Iqbal of Kupwara, Ruby (Beauty) Jan of Shopian and Zahid Ahmad who was killed in Rajasthan India, clearly show that Indian army, occupational forces and police are here only to kill Kashmiris and pro-India politicians are deployed to provide legal shield to these killers,” the leadership said.
They said Kashmiris cannot and will never remain silent on this “genocide” and will observe a complete shutdown on December 20.
Terming the ongoing killings of civilians by government forces as agonizing, JRL leaders said that spree of “brutal killings” has crossed every limit and has now become intolerable. “No Kashmiri is ready to tolerate this genocide silently and no stone will be left unturned to stop these brutalities,” they said.
“Some days back, a poor lady Misra Bano was targeted with bullets at Handwara and killers and their abettors tried to cover it up by putting blame on cross firing. Only few days after this brutal killing these trigger happy soldiers of illegal occupation gunned down another innocent boy Asif Iqbal who was a lone bread earner for his family and same theory of cross firing was repeated. Today these blood thirsty men in uniform have taken the life of another innocent woman namely Beauty Jan wife of Manzoor Ahmad at Shopian and injured many more critically and the story may remain the same,” the JRL said, adding, “Similarly another Kashmiri youth Zahid Ahmad was put to death at Rajasthan in mysterious conditions.”
The leadership said though these killings have been “triggered by Indian forces” but the responsibility lies on the shoulders of those pro-India politicians, assembly members and “so-called” rulers who provide legal cover and immunity to them.
They said authorities have choked every little space on peaceful political activities and even space for every kind of protest has been banned and throttled.
Meanwhile, on JRL call, a protest rally and sit-in was organized at Abi Guzar Lal Chowk in which leaders and activists of JRL along with people from many walks of life protested against the killings. (GNS)