Srinagar: All the schools and colleges in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Shopian, Pulwama, Kupwara, and Baramulla districts will remain closed on Friday, sources said.
The move comes in the wake of massive students protests across the Valley as well as call for protest by joint resistance leadership
The Joint Resistance Leadership on Thursday called for peaceful protest tomorrow to express solidarity with the people of Shopian, Anantnag and Kangan and attract world attention towards grave situation in Kashmir.
The JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and YAsin Malik said that the leadership cannot remain silent to the atrocities committed on people particularly with reference to recent incidents in south Kashmir and Kangan. “Eighteen Kashmiris were martyred and hundreds others were injured gravely due to bullets and pellets,” they said in a statement issued here.
In a joint statement, the leadership, who have been caged in their own houses and in prisons, urged the Imams of all the Masjids and shrines across Kashmir to raise strong voice against the ongoing “severe repression” in Kashmir and to seek people’s unanimous support for the resolution framed by the JRL and to pass the same as well. “The resolution will be presented in all mosques for peoples support and approval.”
The leadership said that post the “death dance” by forces in Shopian in which 17 people lost their lives resistance leadership was barred from visiting the area to express condolences sympathy with the bereaved families and share their grief. “It punctured their tall claims that pro-freedom leadership is “free “to go anywhere.” The leadership said that intentions of the government are clear, it only believes in military might and use of force as a reaction to the popular sentiment.
The leadership said that people of Kashmir are offering priceless sacrifices on all fronts, life honour property where as the rulers have thrown all principles of democracy and humanity to the winds and are busy ruthlessly crushing the peoples movement for asserting their fundamental right. The leadership said that repressive measures to suppress the peoples’ movement will never succeed.
The leadership urged the international community to pitch in at this crucial time and to play their part in stopping the ongoing bloodshed in Kashmir.
The JRL also strongly condemned the use of force and excesses against the protesting students across the Valley in which many students have been grievously injured and hospitalized. They said that every section of society including students are up in revolt to forcible control and repression of the state.
