Death of youth triggers mass protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Sun Feb 12, 2012

Massive protest demonstrations have broken out in the Indian-administered Kashmir over the death of a young man allegedly killed by Indian army soldiers.

Protesters on Saturday blocked the main highway to Baramullah district, situated 75 kilometers (46 miles) northwest of Srinagar, the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir, and said they will not bury the body of the slain individual -- identified as 22-year-old Ashiq Hussain Rather -- until the soldiers involved in his killing were arrested.

Police resorted to baton charges and used teargas to try to disperse the protesters.

Hussain was killed on Friday outside his home in the Lasser village of Baramulla district.

“The (Indian) troopers shot Ashiq without any provocation," said Muddasir Ahhamd, a relative of Rather's, adding that, "After the incident, they tried to keep us indoors but ultimately they ran away when we raised hue and cry.”

Meanwhile, normal life was paralyzed in the Muslim-dominated areas of Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday after a pro-freedom group called for a shutdown. The strike call was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on the 28th execution anniversary of its founder, Mohammed Maqbool Bhat.

Hundreds of paramilitary troopers and policemen were deployed to Srinagar to impose restrictions and prevent protest rallies.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full and have fought two wars over the region since 1947. New Delhi has been repeatedly criticized for resorting to force rather than finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute.

In 2010, the Kashmir Valley was rocked by a series of protests in which at least 110 people were reported killed. The protest rallies were sparked when Indian forces shot dead a student in June of that year.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226257.html.