375 Kashmiris martyred in IOK in 2018

SRINAGAR: Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) continued to witness grave human rights violations during the year 2018 as Indian forces in their barbaric acts of state terrorism martyred 375 Kashmiris.

According to a report compiled by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, Indian troops conducted 2,939 cordon and search operations across the disputed territory during 2018.

The martyrs included highly qualified youth like Professor Dr Muhammad Rafi Butt, Dr Manan Bashir Wani, Dr Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, Dr Aijazud Din Khan and Dr Abdul Ahad Ganai. Those killed also included Hurriyet leaders Mir Hafizulla, Tariq Ahmad Ganie, Mohammad Yousuf Nadeem and Hakim-ul-Rehman Sultani.

A journalist, Shujaat Bukhari was among those killed by unidentified attackers. Of the martyrs, 21 were killed in custody.

As a result of the atrocities, 34 women lost their spouses and 78 children were orphaned while 75 women were molested by the men in uniform. Indian forces destroyed 605 residential houses as the vision of 1302 people was affected by pellets fired by the troops on peaceful protesters.

The report said resistance leaders including Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Aiyaz Muhammad Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmad Dar and Syed Shahid Shah continued to remain in detention in Delhi’s Tihar jail in fake cases. Over five hundred people including Hurriyat leaders, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Maulana Barkati, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Farooq Ahmad Tawheedi, Hakim Abdur Rasheed, Gulzar Ahmad Gulzar, Nisar Hussain Rather, Umar Adil Dar, Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi and Feroz Ahmad Khan remained in different jails of IOK and India under Public Safety Act.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama district on a third consecutive day today (Tuesday) to mourn the killing of four youth by Indian troops.