Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Wednesday strongly denounced the “dictatorial” approach adopted by the authorities against the resistance leadership in Kashmir, stating that booking pro-freedom leadership in fake and fabricated cases has become the norm and deserves severe condemnation .
In a joint statement issued here, the JRL leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the arrest of JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik and seven other resistance leaders including Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Haneef Dar, Shakir Ahmed Ahanger, Fayaz Ahmed Lone, Imtiyhaz Ahmed Dar, Imtiyaz Ahmed Ganai and Basharat Ahmed Bhat under “draconian” RPC sections of 149, 148, 353,336, 307, 152, 147, 427 and 128 while being under continuous detention.
“Levelling fake charges by the State authorities against resistance leadership is nothing but sheer political vendetta and harassment.”
Referring to the “ridiculous charges” levelled against Yasin Malik and his associates , the leaders said that one fails to understand how can a peaceful and unarmed march to protest civilian killings be termed as an “attempt to murder of policemen!” when the police itself armed with guns and ammunition prevented that peaceful assembly by using teargas canisters and other violent means to disperse people causing them injury.
While quoting a couplet-“hum ah bhi kartay hai tou ho jatay hain badnaam, wo qatl bhi kartay hai tou charcha nahi hota”, the leadership said that turning the streets of Kashmir red with the blood of innocents Kashmiris was extremely unfortunate and police not only assists the government forces but is busy framing fake and fictitious charges against the resistance leadership, activists and common Kashmiris.
“To divert attention from the massacre in Pulwama, police is now slapping the pro-freedom leaders with the charges they never committed because in this land of impunity for the aggressor they (police) know they can get away with murder.”
JRL also strongly condemned the solitary confinement of resistance leader Asiya Andrabi in the notorious Tihar Jail in Delhi where she is languishing along with her two aides, Nahida Nasreen and Fehmeeda Sofi. The leadership said that Asiya was already suffering from multiple ailments and confining her to a small cell has further deteriorated her heath posing a great risk to her life.
The leadership said the authorities especially the GoI’s backed NIA has not been able to produce any substantial evidence against Asiya ji and yet adopts anti-human means to prolong her illegal detention which is extremely cruel and inhuman.