Islamabad: The Chairman of Ummat e Islami Jammu Kashmir and Mirwaiz South Kashmir, Qazi Ahmed Yasir Friday led a protest march after prayers against the rising civilian killings in Kashmir and condemned the killing of three civilians in Chadoora during a gunfight.
After giving slip to the police officials who raided his house, Qazi reached the Jamia Masjid Anantnag to lead Friday prayers. The police officials had cordoned the mosque but Qazi along with many supporters led the protest march. He said that stopping people from leading peaceful protests to demand their genuine rights is now forcing youth to pick up stones or guns.
He warned that dialogue and killings can’t go together and the government of India has to accept that Kashmir is a political dispute, which needs a political solution. “Use of bullets and pellets to repress civilians who are only demanding their right to self-determination will only give rise to violence. Killing teenagers is unacceptable and it is these brutal policies that turn the situation violent,” he said.
Demanding the release of political leaders, activists and all the youth, He said that the government should release all the prisoners and stop harassing people who have already been released by the courts. Taking a dig at the courts, he said that the courts are subservient to executives and every person released by the court is then again detained by the police.
He demanded the release of UeI leader Sarjan Barkati, who has been suffering with ailments in jail for last three months. “Similarly, Bilal Sheikh and Rouf Bhat are also in police stations for more than a month. With more arrests and abuse of law, the government is only forcing people to turn towards violent means,” he added.