Kashmir unites to denounce attack

The Peshawar massacre has sent chills across terror-plagued Kashmir.

From funeral prayers-in-absentia to candlelight vigils, cutting across party lines and ideological divides, people were united against terror unleashed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) at Army Public School in Peshawar.

Leading the charge against the TTP was the much dreaded Hizbul Mujahedeen, which called upon Pakistan to unite against combating terrorism.

"These forces are not only weakening the pillars of Pakistan, but they are also trying to defame our religion. We must remain cautious and expose such elements, indulging in such carnage", said Syed Sadaqat Hussain, chief spokesman of Hizbul.

Anti-terror slogans also wrent the air at the historic Jama Masjid in old Srinagar as people wearing black badges and carrying black flags converged to condemn the TTP's attack in Pakistan.

Wearing a black badge, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is also the chief cleric of Kashmir, led the funeral prayers in absentia for the students who were killed by TTP terrorists in Peshawar on Tuesday.

"The world should unite against these barbarians. They should be crushed. Our hearts and prayers go to the families of the slain students. The people of Kashmir understand their pain and agony", said Mirwaiz.

Coming down heavily on the TTP, Mirwaiz said that this act is not only against Pakistan but against Islam and humanity. "No degree of condemnation is enough to denounce this act of terrorism. People of J&K are with their grief-stricken brethren in Pakistan", he said.

Pro-Pakistan Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani also led funeral prayers in absentia for the innocent students and staff slain by TTP on Tuesday. "We condemn these acts. Killing students and bombing schools gives forces who want to defame Islam an alibi to do so. Killing innocent children is akin to killing humanity"", he said.

Reports from district headquarters said that the funeral prayers in absentia were organised in different mosques and hundreds of people participated and paid tributes to the innocent students.

Young Kashmiri women too joined hands in condemning the Peshawar terror attack. A candlelight vigil was held at a local hotel where Quran was recited and tributes were paid to the slain students. "We strongly condemn the terror attack on the Peshawar school. Islam is a religion of peace. The people who have committed such heinous crimes are not Muslims", said one of the participants.

The main opposition party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) too joined in condemning the attack."Atrocities of this proportion should outrage every human being", said Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president.