'Difficult to say if Lashkar is behind J&K violence' Mufti Mehboba

Srinagar: Jully 02: People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply when asked if there was any truth in the allegation that her party has been providing money to some Kashmiris to stage-manage the ongoing violence in the valley.

In an interview with Rediff.com's Onkar Singh, the leader of Jammu and Kashmir's  main Opposition party describe Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's  government as a total failure on most fronts.

This is downright rubbish and false to the core. Those who have made these allegations should look at their own deeds.

Even if I presume for a moment that what they say is right, then going by the same logic, it should also be said that the central government 'purchased' over 60 per cent votes in the 2008 election. is difficult to say whether Lashkar is behind these incidents of violence or not. The militancy in the state has almost come to a nil. What you see is spontaneous outpouring of anger of the Kashmiris against the repression unleashed by the central forces, particularly the Central Reserve Police Force.

33 innocents have so far lost their lives as per the statement issued by P Chidambaram. But this number could be more. The people of the state are agitating against the gross violation of human rights

I am deeply pained at these allegations, because when we were in power, violence in the valley had come down noticeably.

It is difficult to say whether Lashkar is behind these incidents of violence or not. The militancy in the state has almost come to a nil. What you see is spontaneous outpouring of anger of the Kashmiris against the repression unleashed by the central forces, particularly the Central Reserve Police Force.

Meanwhile,curfew in Srinagar, other towns to the Eidgah march, the authorities continue to impose indefinite curfew in Srinagar and other major cities and towns of the Valley to thwart the march towards Eidgah, Srinagar, today.

Call for the march has been given by the forum patronized by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani to protest against the unabated killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian troops in the disputed  territory.

Life in the Kashmir Valley remains paralysed for the eighth consecutive day, today, amidst curfew and shutdown. All shops, business establishments, educational institutions, public and private offices and banks are closed while traffic is off the road in all the districts across the Valley.

Loudspeaker-fitted vehicles were on the streets of Srinagar making announcements of the extension of the curfew. “Policemen and paramilitary vehicles are moving through the old city and announcements have been made that curfew has been imposed,” a resident of Nowhatta told media men over phone. Similar announcements were being made in other major towns of the Valley.

“Curfew is being imposed to prevent people from marching towards Eidgah,” a police official said. “Curfew and restrictions will continue on Friday (today) in Srinagar and other towns of the Valley, which have seen massive protests in the wake of recent killings,” a police spokesman had told media men on Thursday evening.

Indian troops martyr 6 more innocent Kashmiris : Curfew in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Islamabad

Srinagar, June 29 (Writer-South Asia): In dispted state of Kashmir, the authorities imposed curfew in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla and Islamabad, today, to prevent people from holding demonstrations against the killing of innocent youth by Indian troops.

Call for holding the demonstrations had been given by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

On the call of the forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, complete strike was observed in the Kashmir Valley, which will continue tomorrow. The authorities, today, had deployed large contingents of Indian police and troops in all major cities and towns of the occupied territory. The authorities had suspended the mobile phone services in north Kashmir and SMS services in the entire Valley, depriving people from getting information about the situation in different parts of the occupied territory.

Despite restrictions, people took to the streets in Qamarwari, Barzulla, Omarabad and Lawaypora areas of Srinagar and staged peaceful demonstrations. Defying curfew restrictions, people staged demonstrations in Sopore. Forceful anti-India demonstrations were held in Handwara, Kupwara, Lolab, Lalpora, Badgam, Pulwama, Pampore, wantipora, Tral, Islamabad and Baramulla areas, where Indian troops subjected the protesters to brute force, injuring several of them. A 13-year-old boy was critically injured when the troops fired upon a procession in Islamabad town.

On the other hand, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi continued to remain under house arrest for the second consecutive day, today. Other Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Yasmeen Raja and Javed Ahmed Mir have been lodged at different police stations and jails.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Gh. Nabi Fai, Sheikh Yaqoob, 11th August Foundaion, NGO Federation of Kashmir, Human Rights Watch, Kashmir Amnest, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani and Mahaz-e-Azadi, in their separate statements strongly condemned the killing of innocent youth in unprovoked firing of Indian troops on peaceful protestors.

APHC leader, Ghulam Ahmed Mir addressing a protest rally at Thannamandi in Rajouri deplored that Indian troops were engaged in genocide of Kashmiri people in the disputed territory.

Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred six more innocent Kashmir youth in Nowgam area of Kupwara. Earlier, three Indian troops were killed in an attack in the same area. (Writer-South Asia)