SRINAGAR: Calling for an impartial probe, mainstream and separatist parties across the board Saturday condemned the incidents of firing allegedly by army at two separate locations in southern district of Pulwama that left several civilians injured, some of the critically.
Two militants were killed while as three security personnel including two army officers were injured in an encounter on Friday at Babgam village of Pulwama district. Subsequently, army troops allegedly opened fire on protesting civilians at Chandgam village injuring several of them. The Govt forces, allegedly once again fired upon a vehicle carrying the injured civilians to hospital at main market Pulwama reportedly taking the toll of total injured civilians to 12. However, a police statement said the civilians were injured after a mob attacked ambulance carrying injured security personnel to hospital, a claim dismissed by the locals.
Meanwhile, various political organization, civil society groups and separatist organizations have condemned the incident.
PDP Condemns, calls for thorough probe
Condemning the firing on peaceful people in Pulwama PDP today called for a thorough probe into the unprovoked incident. In a statement here today a spokesman of the party said that the trigger happy government is trying to enforce a peace of graveyard in the state where nobody is allowed to express sentiments of any kind even peacefully. It is because of such attitude of intolerance that educated youth are once again pushed to the wall and reportedly forced to resort to violence as a result of repressive policies of the government, he added. He said government should ensure that all democratic channels of peaceful expression are available to people of Jammu & Kashmir as much as they are to the citizens of any party of the country.
The spokesman said that MLA Pulwama Khalil Bandh visited the injured in the hospitals and inquired about them. The MLA was accompanied by other senior leader and workers of the party. The party has called for best possible medical assistance to the injured and compensation to their families.
Take Pulwama inquiry to logical conclusion: Tarigami
Expressing serious concern over the Pulwama firing incident which led to injuries to many civilians, CPI (M) State Secretary Mohmammad Yousuf Tarigami has said the magisterial inquiry ordered by the government should reach to some logical conclusion.
In a statement issued here today, Tarigami has said the incident has created an atmosphere of insecurity among the people and the inquiry ordered should not be handled as another addition to the already pending inquiries with the government. These incidents are unfortunate and could have been avoided. Tarigami observed.
Expressing solidarity with the injured, the CPI (M) leader has asked the government to provide relief to the affected families and full treatment to the victims.
NC MP condemns firing on civilians
Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri, MP has condemned the firing on civilians at Nownagri,Chandgam and later on a Sumo vehicle carrying an injured teenager of Nownagri to hospital at Pulwama. In a statement after visiting the injured and talking to them and other witnesses, he hoped that the inquiry ordered by the government will establish the truth and the personnel responsible for unjustified firing and abuse of power will be punished. He said that when we felt a little relieved at the lowest level of violence in 2012, this incident of scant regard for human life sullied the image of the Army and fixing the responsibility for this sad incident is in the interest of the Army and democracy. Ratanpuri demanded adequate compensation and rehabilitation for those affected in Friday’s incident. He hoped that they will get justice because accountability and justice only lead us to peace and reconciliation
Bar boycotts courts
The J&K High Court Bar Association Srinagar condemned the indiscriminate firing incidents leading to injury to several civilians.
Today on 29th day of December 2012, a general body meeting of the J&K High Court Bar Association Srinagar was convened at High Court Complex at 10:00 a.m. wherein the indiscriminate firing on the general public and on peaceful demonstration by the Security forces and by the police without any reason or justification was strongly condemned by all the Bar members unanimously and it was resolved in the meeting that the Bar Association will abstain from appearing in the courts in order to show solidarity with the family members of the injured persons.
ANC calls it unprovoked firing
Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference Saturday condemned the unprovoked firing by paramilitary troopers on peaceful demonstrators at Pulwama No words can be harsh enough to condemn the atrocities unleashed by the troopers on the civilians at Chandigam (Tahab) in the aftermath of an encounter and on peaceful protesters at Muran Chowk and Shaheed Park (Pulwama) where even playing children pleading their innocence were not spared, party president, Begum Khalidah Shah, said in a statement, seeking adequate medical attention to the injured.
Jamaat terms the incidents inhuman, barbaric
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami J&K has also strongly condemned the alleged indiscriminate use of force and firing upon the peaceful mourners in Babagam and Pulwama town by the army and has termed it an inhuman barbaric act.
The people have a right to protest against all kind of atrocities and to prevent them from doing so amounts to a gross violation of fundamental human rights. The army and security forces are misusing their authority under the garb of the draconian laws of AFSPA and in the Kashmir valley; the martial law has virtually been imposed without declaration.
Jamaat-e-Islami J&K has demanded a stringent action against the personnel involved in this illegal act of indiscriminate firing, while expressing deep sympathy with the injured.
Aimed at suppressing Kashmiris: UJC
In a statement issued to KNS, UJC has said that the indiscriminate firing on unarmed procession of the common people in Pulwama on Friday speaks about the defeat of Indian troops.
It has been precedent of the Indian troops to make the unarmed civilians as shields to face the Mujahideen and this activity is being used to suppress the Kashmir nation which is condemnable, reads the statement quoting UJC spokesperson Saleem Hashmi quoting Syed Salahuddin.
The UJC chairman has expressed solidarity with the injured persons who got injured during allegedly unprovoked firing by Indian troops. Such coward acts of Indian troops will not discourage the people in the way of freedom, reads the statement as having sallahudin said.
Act of frustration: Nayeem Khan
National Front Chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan has also condemned the action of forces, calling it an act of frustration.
It was the frustration of the forces that they beat people, fired upon them, broke the vehicles and imposed restrictions so that they could stop them from exhibiting their sentiment of freedom, Khan said adding India and its local collaborators are doing the same thing since decades now but now they have understood that their efforts have gone waste and the Kashmiri people are still demanding complete freedom from India.
While praising the people of Pulwama, Khan said that they have shown the path of resistance and their courage is worth salute. He said, The injured of Pulwama may get well in some days but the injuries which Kashmiris have on their hearts can only be healed by complete freedom from India.
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