Moderate Hurriyat Conference on Saturday knocked at the doors of Pakistan seeking its help to influence New Delhi to stop the alleged human rights violations in the Kashmir valley.
“Pakistan should take-up the issue of human rights violations forcefully with India during the forthcoming foreign ministers meeting in Islamabad,” said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference
Earlier on Saturday Farooq led the sit-in in old city areas and condemned the government for its human rights record. “These marches are part of our civil disobedience movement. In the first phase we want the removing of all security bunkers and camps from inhabited areas. We also demand the release of all prisoners and punishment to the security men responsible for the killing of 15 youth,” he said.
Mirwaiz said that in the second phase of the civil disobedience movement they will hold sit-in in the tehsil headquarters for demilitarisation which will set the stage for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. “We will go to tehsil headquarters from next week and hold sit-in for demilitarsation,” he said.
Even as Mirwaiz held the sit-in, the authorities re-imposed the curfew in some parts of the valley after fresh violence erupted Saturday morning. Curfew was re-imposed in Pulwama after people staged violent protests. Curfew was also clamped in sensitive Maisuma and Sopore areas.
“Curfew was clamped in Pulwama Saturday morning. Sopore was also under curfew. Restrictions were however imposed in Maisuma area. Situation was calm and under control,” said Farooq Ahmad, inspector general of police, Kashmir range.
Curfew was relaxed by the authorities Friday night to facilitate the Shab-e-Mehraj prayers during night at Dargah Hazratbal shrine.
Though prayers were held, the congregation was very small due to the tense situation.
Hundreds of people on Saturday tried to march towards the shrine but they were not allowed. Hurriyat hardliners had given a call for Dargah March against the recent killings.
For the third day no news papers reached the stands in Kashmir owing to restrictions of the movement and non-availability of adequate curfew passes to media persons in the valley.
Hundreds of media persons wearing black badges on Saturday staged a sit-in at Press Enclave against the alleged strong-arm measures of government to curb smooth functioning of media in Kashmir.
Earlier the joint meeting of five representative bodies of media fraternity of Kashmir viz Kashmir Press Association, Press Guild of Kashmir, Kashmir Journalists Corps, Kashmir Press Photographers Association and Kashmir Video Journalists Association were held and it was resolved that publication of newspapers couldn’t be resumed unless concrete measures are taken to restore complete freedom of media in Kashmir .
“Issues confronting media fraternity were discussed in detail particularly the brazen action against a national television channel. The meeting condemned the restrictions on media and expressed deep anguish over the unashamed approach of the government, which has not shown any respect for the media as an important institution,” the resolution reads.
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