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Complete shutdown, protests in IHK as India arrests over 200 Kashmiris

Complete shutdown, protests in IHK as India arrests over 200 Kashmiris
February 24, 2019
SRINAGAR (92 News) – In Indian-held Jammu Kashmir (IHK), complete shutdown is being observed across the territory, on Sunday, against India’s arbitrary measures like mass arrest, killings and attempts to repeal Article 35-A that grants special rights to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. According to KMS, Call for the strike has been given by Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. All shops and business establishments remained shut in Srinagar and other districts of the valley, while traffic flow was minimal. Indian authorities have deployed 100 additional companies of paramilitary forces and imposed curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar and other parts of the occupied territory. The moves are aimed at preventing protests against the mass detention of over 200 Kashmiris, including Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman  Muhammad Yasin Malik and Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir Chief Dr Abdul Hameed Fayaz.
Indian forces arrest Yasin Malik, many JI members in IHK
Earlier, In IHK, Indian police and troops have launched a massive crackdown against pro-freedom leaders and activists. Indian police took Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik into custody after raiding his Maisuma residence in Srinagar and lodged him at Kothibagh police station. Indian troops and police arrested dozens of leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) of the occupied territory from their residences during nocturnal raids across the occupied territory. Those arrested included JI Ameer, Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, Advocate Zahid Ali, Ghulam Qadir Lone, Abdur Rauf, Mudassir Ahmed, Abdul Salam, Bakhtawar Ahmed, Muhammad Hayat, Bilal Ahmed and Ghulam Muhammad Dar. The JI in a statement termed the crackdown a well-designed conspiracy to further add to the already deteriorated situation in occupied Kashmir. It said that something seemed fishy at this moment when petitions challenging Article 35-A were listed in Indian Supreme Court. Article 35-A grants special rights and privileges to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and debars non-Kashmiris from purchasing property in the territory. Narendra Modi-led BJP government through its agents wants to abrogate the Article 35-A by using judiciary to pave way for settling Indian citizens in occupied Kashmir thus changing the demographic composition of the territory. “Any attempt of eroding or tempering with Article 35-A is unacceptable for people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it added. On the other hand, India is airlifting 100 additional companies of paramilitary soldiers to Srinagar to be deployed in the occupied territory on urgent basis. There has been a considerable build-up of Indian forces across occupied Kashmir after last week’s Pulwama incident in which over 40 soldiers were killed. Since then, the situation has been tense across the territory, especially in the Kashmir Valley.Meanwhile, the targeted onslaughts against Kashmiris across India continue unabated as three more Kashmiri youth were attacked in New Delhi, while a journalist was beaten up in Pune.
Hindu fanatics assaults three Kashmiri youth in New Delhi
Hindu fanatics assaulted three Kashmiri youth in Nangloi area of New Delhi. In another incident, a 24-year-old Kashmiri journalist, Jibran Nazir, was beaten up in Pune. Jibran Nazir, who works with a newspaper in Pune, said that the assailants told him that they would send him back to Kashmir.