Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik condemned the arbitrary and illegal arrest of Hurriyat leader Altaf Ahmed Shah, Shahidul Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifullah by the NIA on fabricated charges.
The leadership expressed serious concern about the safety of these people after their sudden arrests as no one has been to establish contact with them and their whereabouts are not known.
In a statement issued to KNS, JRL said a drama was enacted by the Government through its agency the NIA of first raiding ,then questioning and now arresting these people, giving an impression that law and procedures had been followed and then these people arrested on grounds of some evidence being found to link them to the alleged charges. The sensationalizing propagandist anti-Kashmir electronic media of India was also brought into play to aid and abet this drama and deceit.
JRL said that absolutely no evidence was found against Altaf Ahmed Shah, Shahidul Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifulla in connection with any so called funding and they has been arrested as per the plan of the Government. NIA officials had repeatedly told them that sooner or later they will be arrested as the Government had made up its mind to do so.
JRL said that people of Kashmir know very well the central idea and aim behind this drama. As the present geo political situation of the region stands and international pressure is building up on New Delhi with regard to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and the human rights situation here, New Delhi constantly refusing to acknowledge the dispute ,is working hard to ward off this pressure by projecting the people’s political struggle in Kashmir as so called Islamic terrorism aided by Pakistan , so that it does not have to engage with the political sentiment and aspirations of the people of Kashmir and Hurriyat being a representative of that sentiment, maligning and implicating it in alleged funding is part of that plan . It is also aimed at misleading the people of India.
JRL said that the political movement in Kashmir is a people’s movement based on the universal principles of justice and sovereignty of people and as long as people of Kashmir believe in it and support it no power and propaganda on earth can alter that reality however much the oppressor may try. They said that these intimidating and pressure tactics will neither weaken the movement nor the resolve of the leadership in pursuing the just cause. Hardships trials and persecution are a given in this path as the history of freedom struggles world over has witnessed.
JRL said all these pro movement political activists and leaders have been at the forefront of the people’s movement who have tirelessly supported the leadership and worked for the people’s cause and are being persecuted and targeted for their political ideology and principles. JRL said to protest and condemn this revengeful arbitrary and illegal move a complete strike will be observed in the valley tomorrow (25th July 2017). (KNS)
