Yasin Malik arrested by Indian troops in a major crackdown against Kashmiri leaders

SRINAGAR: Indian troops launched a major crackdown in occupied Kashmir, and arrested Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Saturday, Kashmir Media Service reported. 

The Indian troops raided Malik’s Maisuma residence in Srinagar and lodged him at Kothibagh police station. The crackdown was launched against pro-freedom leaders and activists.

Dozens of other leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami of the occupied territory were nabbed from their residences during nocturnal raids across held Kashmir.

Those arrested included JI Ameer, Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, Advocate Zahid Ali, Ghulam Qadir Lone, Abdur Rauf, Mudassir Ahmed, Abdul Salam, Bakhtawar Ahmed, Muhammad Hayat, Bilal Ahmed and Ghulam Muhammad Dar.

The Jamaat-e-Islami in a statement termed the crackdown “a well-designed conspiracy” to further escalate the already deteriorated situation in occupied Kashmir.

Chairman of Hurriyat forum Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned the apprehensions on Twitter, saying “such illegal and coercive measures against Kashmiri’s are futile and will not change realities on ground. Force and intimidation will only worsen the situation.”

Strongly Condemn the nocturnal crackdown on Jamat e Islami leadership and cadres and the arrest of Yasin Malik. Such illegal and coercive measures against Kashmiri’s are futile and will not change realities on ground. Force and intimidation will only worsen the situation.

— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) February 23, 2019

As per Kashmir Media Service, India is airlifting 100 additional companies of paramilitary soldiers to Srinagar to be deployed in the occupied territory on urgent basis.

There has been a considerable build-up of Indian forces across occupied Kashmir after last week’s Pulwama incident in which over 40 soldiers were killed. Since then, the situation has been tense across the territory, especially in the Kashmir Valley.