IOK situation remains unchanged on 120th day of lockdown

SRINAGAR (KMS) – In Occupied Kashmir, situation remains more or less the same particularly in the Kashmir Valley and parts of Jammu region on 120th day of lockdown and internet shutdown. Two Kashmiri youth from Kupwara and Srinagar areas were shifted to Srinagar Central Jail after being booked by authorities under draconian law, PSA. Muhammad Afzal Lone and Fayaz Ahmed Ganaie were apparently arrested by police on charges of arranging anti-India protests and stone-pelting. A report says that the J&K admin may shift some more detainees from MLA Hostel in Srinagar to their respective residences where they would be kept under house arrest. Apparently, lack of proper facilities in the hostel-tuned-sub jail is cited as the main reason for this shifting. Without mentioning the names of the detainees to be shifted, the report further said that those who are ailing and senior citizens may be shifted in the first week of December. Last week two detainees, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen and Mohammad Ashraf Mir, were released from the hostel and shifted to their residences. However, they were asked by the authorities not to venture out of their houses. Meanwhile, Japan has said that though the country is aware of the long-standing differences of views with regard to Kashmir and is carefully looking at the situation there, yet it is hoping that a peaceful resolution to the issue will be found through dialogue. The comments were made by a spokesperson of the Japanese Foreign Ministry in New Delhi a day after India and Japan held their first foreign and defence ministerial dialogue under a new framework to further widen the scope of strategic ties. On the other hand, Indian troops on Monday launched a massive Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) in several villages of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. A joint team of army and Special Operational Group (SoG) today arrived in the district and laid a siege to several villages including Chowalagam, Chattabal, Bypass and adjoining area of the district.