Solidarity with Kashmiris: Indian atrocities condemned

Protesters demand world community to help stop violence in the disputed territory.

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Members of religio-political parties as well as lawyers held separate events in the twin cities calling for an end to human rights violations in Indian Kashmir.

Lawyers in Rawalpindi on Tuesday staged a rally against human rights violations in Indian Kashmir.

Members of the Rawalpindi District Bar Association (DBA) gathered here at Katcheri Chowk at about 12pm in their vehicles for the rally. They first went to the United Nations (UN) office in Islamabad, and submitted a memorandum against atrocities committed by security forces in Indian Kashmir.

Advocate Nisar Inqilabi, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that the lawyers after submitting the memorandum at the UN office went towards the Indian Embassy.

He said that the law enforcers did not allow them to go near the Indian embassy.

Inqilabi said that when they threatened to stage a sit-in outside the embassy, the security officials asked them to hand over their resolution condemning the inhuman actions in Kashmir.

He said that they gave the copy of the bar’s resolution to the security staff for the Indian embassy officials.

Earlier, Inqilabi submitted a resolution in the DBA on Saturday condemning the excesses of Indian forces in Kashmir.

He said that the DBA passed the resolution and it was announced to hold a protest rally on July 19th.

In a lawyers’ meeting held in DBA hall on Tuesday before the rally, the representatives of the bar paid tributes to the Kashmiri people for their sacrifices in the freedom struggle.

The lawyers also asked the Indian government to end detention of Hurriyat leaders, lift curfew, and allow international media to visit Kashmir.

They also asked the international community and the international human rights organisations to take notice of the atrocities and violation of human rights in Kashmir.

The meeting was chaired by DBA President Shaukat Rauf Siddiqi, General Secretary Sardar Bilal Qayyum and other representatives.

Meanwhile, a corner meeting was organised in Dhoke Hassu by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) to condemn the Indian atrocities in Kashmir.

Shamsur Rehman Swati, a local JI leader addressed the event and paid rich tributes to the people of Kashmir for their sacrifices in the cause of struggle for freedom.

Meanwhile, Jamaatud Dawa leaders in a press conference in I-8 Islamabad said that no option other than independence of Indian Kashmir was acceptable.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2016.