24th Year of Publication

Vol: 24 No. 02
Monthly February 2018

INSIGHT

Why Kashmiri martyrs

solidarity with of 1990s massacres
Kashmiris! remembered
 Indian brutalities cannot deter
Kashmiris from demanding freedom

“Pakistan strongly condemns the brutal and indiscriminate use of force by Indian forces that
resulted in the martyrdom of three innocent civilians and injuries to several others in the
Ganowpora village of Shopian district in IOK on 27th January, 2018. Countering peaceful,
unarmed protesters with lethal weapons and direct bullets is another manifestation of the state-
terrorism being perpetrated by India against Kashmiris on a daily basis.
“Valiant people of IOK have proved, time and again, that no amount of incarcerations, torture
and indiscriminate killings could dissuade them from pursuing their legitimate and inalienable
right to self-determination.”

(Foreign Office Spokesman, Dr Muhammad Faisal,

addressing weekly briefing in Islamabad on January 28, 2018)
Kashmir Insight FEBRUARY 2018
Editor: M Raza Malik From The Editor's Desk
Indian troops are continuing the killing spree in occupied
Sub Editor: Benazir Khan Kashmir to punish the Kashmiris for carrying on their
struggle to achieve freedom from India’s illegal occupation of
Art Editor: M.Haroon
their homeland. The troops brutally killed four innocent
civilians in Shopian district in the last week of January 2018.
CONTENTS Three youth Javaid Ahmed Butt, Suhail Javaid Lone and
Editorial Rayees Ahmed Ganai were shifted to hospitals after they
were critically injured in the firing of the troops on
Brutal massacres by Indian troops in IOK . . . . . . 02 demonstrators in Ganowpora area of Shopian on January 27.
Cover Story While Javaid Ahmed Butt and Suhail Javaid Lone were
declared as brought dead at the hospitals, Rayees Ahmed
Kashmiris mark India’s Republic Day as Ganai succumbed to his injuries on January 31 after battling
Black Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 for his life for four days. Earlier, another youth, Shakir
Ahmed Mir, was killed at Chaigund in Shopian district on
Reports
January 24 when the troops opened fire on peaceful protests
Kashmiris observe Right to against a violent siege and search operation in the area.
Besides these killings, several people had sustained injuries
Self-Determination Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07
in the Indian forces’ actions.
Bloodbath by Indian troops in IOK continues . . . . . 10 It is a reality that New Delhi has been resorting to the worst
Article kind of state terrorism in occupied Kashmir for the past over
seven decades to continue its illegal hold on the territory.
Why solidarity with Kashmiris! Since 1989 only, when the Kashmiris had intensified their
Muhammad Raza Malik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 freedom struggle, the Indian troops have killed around one
hundred thousand people and subjected over eight thousand
Pictorial youth to custodial disappearance besides putting thousands
Images speak louder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 behind the bars and molesting more than ten thousand
women. Even during the ongoing mass uprising, which was
Human rights situation triggered by the extrajudicial killing of popular youth leader,
HR abuses by Indian troops in IOK during Burhan Wani, on 8th July 2016, the troops have killed 515
people including women and teenage boys and 179 of them
January 2018 have been killed in the firing of pellets and bullets on the
Raies Ahmed Mir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 protesters. Around 21,000 people have been injured and
hundreds of others blinded during the period. However, all
Report
these brutal tactics have failed to intimidate the Kashmiris
Kashmiri martyrs of 1990s into submission and they are committed to continue their
struggle to get rid of Indian bondage till complete success.
massacres remembered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The world human rights bodies including the Amnesty
APHC-AJK holds seminar on International, Human Rights Watch and Asia Watch in
their reports from time to time have been demanding an end
Kashmir in Islamabad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
to the Indian repression in occupied Kashmir. But the Indian
AI launches drive, online petition authorities are turning a deaf ear to their pleas, resulting in
the continued suffering of the people of the occupied
for ban on pellet guns in IOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
territory.
Chronology The world community must take cognisance of India’s
A chronological account of developments genocidal actions in occupied Kashmir and force it to resolve
the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’
on Kashmir (138) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 aspirations to mitigate their miseries.
Beauty thy name is
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The burglar with soft heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Email: kashmirinsight@yahoo.com
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Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Ph:051-5566348, Fax: 051-5516142
Editorial
Brutal massacres by Indian troops in IOK
India is using every brutal tactic
in occupied Kashmir to
suppress the Kashmiris’ just
struggle for securing their
inalienable right to self-
determination for the past over
seven decades. It has invoked
draconian laws in the occupied
territory giving its troops and
police personnel unbridled
powers to commit gross human
rights violations - in fact crimes
against humanity - to intimidate
the Kashmiris into submission.
Arrests, killings, extrajudicial
executions, fake encounters,
destruction of property and
molestation of women by the
forces’ personnel have become
the order of the day in the
occupied territory and have
made the life of its inhabitants a
living hell.
In 1989, the Kashmiri people
intensified their liberation
struggle that gave sleepless
nights to the rulers in New
Delhi. The Indian authorities
imposed Governor’s Rule in
occupied Kashmir and
appointed notorious anti-
Muslim Jagmohan Malhotra as
Governor on January 19, 1990,
giving him a free hand to
suppress the mass uprising.
Indian troops carried out mass
killings in Gaw Kadal and
Handwara areas within a few
days of Malhotra’s appoint-
ment. More than 50 persons
were killed and hundreds
others injured at Gaw Kadal in
Srinagar on January 21, 1990,
after the personnel of Indian
Central Reserve Police Force
opened indiscriminate fire on
the peaceful demonstrators
who were protesting against the
molestation of several women
by the troops in Chota Bazaar
locality of Srinagar during the
previous night. A few days later
on January 25, over 20 people
were killed in Handwara town
when two patrolling parties of
the Indian Border Security
Force fired upon thousands of
peaceful and unarmed people
protesting against the Gaw
Kadal carnage. The deplorable
aspect of the matter is that not a
single Indian soldier involved
in these brutal incidents has
been punished so far despite the
passage of several years.
It is a well established fact that
Jagmohan Malhotra had close
affiliation with the extremist
Hindu organisation, Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
This terrorist party was also
behind the assassination of one
of the founders of India,
Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi. But it is unfortunate
that the world community is not
taking any action against this
KASHMIR INSIGHT
terrorist outfit. This communal
organisation with the active
support of Indian ruling BJP is
now hell bent upon imposing its
Hindutva ideology and agenda
in occupied Kashmir.
It is a reality that besides
committing the genocide in
occupied Kashmir, Indian
military establishment has been
hatching conspiracies to project
the Kashmiris’ ongoing
freedom struggle as a terrorist
movement. The mass killing of
Sikhs in Chattisinghpora area of
Islamabad district
and Pandits at
Wandhama in
Ganderbal was part
of this malicious
campaign. The
Indian Army had
b l a m e d t h e
Kashmiri freedom-
fighters for these incidents.
However, later investigations
revealed that these killings were
orchestrated by the army itself.
The massacring of Kashmiris in
Gaw Kadal, Handwara and
other areas is well-documented
and has been reported by the
international organisations.
These incidents of brutality
come under the purview of the
International Law. But sadly,
the world community has
turned a blind eye to these
brutal episodes and failed to
investigate them by the
International Court of Justice,
which was established for this
very purpose. It must take steps
to provide justice to the victims
and bring the perpetrators to
book to avoid such tragedies in
future.
FEBRUARY 2018 02
Cover Story
Kashmiris mark India’s Republic Day as Black Day
Kashmiris on both sides of the
Line of Control and across the
world observed India’s Republic
Day on 26th January 2018 as
Black Day to convey the message
to the world that New Delhi has
been denying them their inalien-
able right to self-determination
for the past over seven decades.
The day was marked with
complete shutdown in occupied
Kashmir, call for which was
given by the Joint Resistance
Leadership comprising Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
The resistance leaders had also
called for peaceful protests and
rallies across the occupied
territory after Friday prayers
against the civilian killings,
indiscriminate firing and use of
pellets on peaceful protesters
besides ransacking of properties
by the Indian forces’ personnel.
All shops and business establish-
ments remained closed while
traffic was off the road. The
streets gave a deserted look as
people preferred to remain
indoors. The puppet authorities
had put the entire occupied
Kashmir especially Srinagar and
Jammu under siege. Indian
troops and police personnel were
deployed in strength in every
nook and corner of the occupied
territory, causing huge inconve-
nience to the people. The Indian
forces’ personnel conducted
frisking and checking of vehicles
and passengers in Srinagar and
other major towns besides
carrying out surprise raids in
different areas. The authorities
had also placed Hurriyat leaders
including Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Aasiya
Andrabi and Hilal Ahmed War
under house arrest or in custody
to prevent them from leading the
anti-India demonstrations. The
authorities had also sealed the
Jamia Masjid Srinagar and
disallowed people to offer Juma
KASHMIR INSIGHT
prayers while mobile internet
services across the occupied
territory were suspended.
The Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik in a
statement in Srinagar said that
India had no right to celebrate its
Republic Day in Jammu and
Kashmir as it had occupied the
territory with its military might
against the will of the Kashmiri
people.
The resistance leaders said, India
claims to be the largest democ-
racy of the world but virtually
stands exposed in Jammu and
Kashmir where it has been
trampling all basic and demo-
cratic rights of the people for the
past seven decades. Referring to
human rights violations in
occupied Kashmir, they said that
the abuses ranged from mass
killings, enforced disappear-
ances, torture, rape and sexual
abuse to repression and suppres-
sion of freedom of speech,
FEBRUARY 2018 03
Cover Story
peaceful assembly and free
movement. They pointed out
that six lac people had been
killed, ten thousand disappeared
in custody and hundreds of
women had been molested by the
Indian men in uniform during
the period. They said that the
Kashmiris had no animosity with
India or its people who had every
right to celebrate their Republic
Day within India but New Delhi
had no ethical or constitutional
right to celebrate the day in
Jammu and Kashmir as it had
usurped all democratic rights of
the Kashmiris.
The resistance leaders while
referring to the UN Charter said
that it had guaranteed the right to
self-determination of the
Kashmiri people and had called
for holding of a plebiscite in
Jammu and Kashmir to ascertain
the aspirations of the Kashmiri
people regarding their political
destiny and even India had
promised to honour the verdict
of the Kashmiris. They deplored
that despite being signatory to
the UN resolutions, India
backtracked from its commit-
ments and was not providing the
people of Jammu and Kashmir
an opportunity to decide their
future by themselves.
Other Hurriyat leaders including
Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi
Al-Safvi, Aasiya Andrabi,
Yasmeen Raja, Zamruda Habib,
Farida Bahenji, Muhammad
Farooq Rehmani, Muhammad
Yousuf Naqash, Hakeem Abdur
Rasheed, Syed Bashir Andrabi,
Bilal Siddiqi, Mir Shahid Saleem,
Zafar Akbar Butt, Javaid Ahmed
Mir, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza,
Shabbir Ahmed Dar,
Muhammad Ahsan Untoo and
Muhammad Iqbal Mir in their
statements said that India had no
moral or constitutional justifica-
tion to celebrate its Republic Day
in Jammu and Kashmir as it had
KASHMIR INSIGHT
been denying the Kashmiri
people their democratic rights
for the past over seventy years.
They said that the Kashmiris
would continue their liberation
struggle till settlement of the
Kashmir dispute in accordance
with their aspirations.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
protest rallies and demonstra-
tions were held at different
places against India’s continued
illegal occupation of Jammu and
Kashmir. The participants of
these events showed complete
solidarity with the freedom-
loving people of occupied
Kashmir who have been facing
the worst kind of Indian state
terrorism in their just struggle for
freedom for the past several
decades.
During the protest rallies and
processions held by different
social, political and religious
organisations representing
people of all spheres of life, the
participants strongly denounced
the brutalities being perpetrated
by the Indian police and troops in
occupied Kashmir.
In Islamabad, the All Parties
Hurriyat Conference Azad
Jammu and Kashmir chapter and
the Occupied Kashmir Journalist
Association staged demonstra-
tions to condemn the Indian state
FEBRUARY 2018 04
Cover Story
terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
A large number of people took
out a rally from Super Market to
the National Press Club to draw
attention of the world commu-
nity towards the Indian brutali-
ties in the occupied territory. The
rally was led by Kashmiri leaders
including Mushaal Hussain
Malik and Abdul Hameed Lone.
Addressing the demonstrations,
the speakers expressed serious
concern over the continued
Indian state terrorism in occu-
pied Kashmir.
They urged the international
community to impress upon
New Delhi and its puppet
administration in occupied
Kashmir to stop atrocities on the
innocent Kashmiris. They said
that durable peace in the region
was impossible without settle-
ment of the Kashmir dispute and
the Kashmiris would continue
their struggle till they achieved
their right to self-determination.
A large number of Kashmiris,
Sikhs and their sympathisers
held a demonstration outside the
Indian High Commission in
London to mark India’s Republic
Day as Black Day. The protesters
were holding placards and
banners highlighting the Indian
atrocities on the people of
occupied Kashmir and minori-
ties in India including Sikhs.
The situation turned tense as
groups of Indian people tried to
disrupt the demonstration,
leading to clashes. The police had
to intervene to control the
situation.
Sikhs and Kashmiris tradition-
ally hold anti-India protests on
India’s Republic Day outside the
Indian High Commission in
London to express their desire
for freedom from the Indian
occupation. However, this time
around, the Indian officials
organised a counter protest
w h i c h
t u r n e d
violent as
pro-India
protesters
attacked
the Sikhs
a n d cowardly tactics.
Kashmiris.
Scotland
Y a r d
officials
tried to
separate
the protesters and then called
more force to take away the pro-
India protesters who not only
threatened the Sikh and
Kashmiri protesters but also
threw a few water bottles at
them.
India has been incensed at its
diplomats being recently banned
KASHMIR INSIGHT
from speaking at many Sikh
Gurdwaras in the UK, Canada
and the US. The Indian High
Commission’s officers were also
visibly stung seeing vans parked
outside the High Commission in
London with slogans
proclaiming “Khalistan
Zindabad”, “Free Kashmir” and
calling for freedom of Assam,
Nagaland and Manipur from
India.
Lord Nazir Ahmed who was
leading the protesters
condemned the extremist Hindu
elements that had tried to
prevent peaceful democratic
protest.
The speakers on the occasion said
that their communities would
never be intimidated by such
Amrik Singh Sahota Obe,
President of the Council of
Khalistan, said that the interna-
tional community - including the
Commonwealth - should hold
the Indian Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi, accountable for
his personal and his country’s
diabolic record on human rights.
He said that the world bodies
should punish, not reward, India
for being a country that formally
rejected the people’s right to self-
determination enshrined in the
international law. The conflicts
FEBRUARY 2018 05
Cover Story
arising from that illegal position
had led to hundreds of thou-
sands of deaths and untold
misery, he added.
Dr Mukul Hazarika of Assam
Watch (UK) said that India must
return the sovereign status of the
shackled deserving people like
the Kashmiris, Khalistanis and
the nationalities of Western
South East Asia.
Lord Qurban Hussain, who also
participated in the protest, in his
address urged the UN to inter-
vene and bring peace to what is
perhaps the most dangerous
conflict zone in the world today.
Meanwhile, the office-bearers of
UK-based Jammu and Kashmir
Self-Determination Movement
International (JKSDMI) observed
India’s Republic Day as Black
Day in Leeds, Bradford,
Manchester and Halifax.
A special prayers session was
also held at Ghausia Mosque,
Leeds, and was led by Al-Haaj
Arshad Khatana, the President of
Councilors for mosques of Leeds,
where the JKSDMI Chairman,
Raja Najabat Hussain, and other
leaders strongly condemned the
Indian state terrorism in occu-
pied Kashmir. They said that
Labour Party would continue to
raise its voice in favour of the
right to self-determination of the
oppressed Kashmiris and would
highlight the Kashmir dispute at
every forum.
The Kashmir Council European
Union (KCEU) also organised a
demonstration in Brussels
against the Indian atrocities in
occupied Kashmir and observed
India’s Republic Day as Black
Day. A large number of
Kashmiris and civil rights
activists
f r o m
across
t h e
Europe
gathered
in front
of the
Indian
Embassy
i n
Brussels.
T h e
p r o t e s t-
ers, led by the KCEU Chairman,
Ali Raza Syed, urged the interna-
tional community to play its role
in the settlement of the long-
pending Kashmir dispute in
accordance with the aspirations
of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir.
Kashmiris have been observing
India’s Republic Day as Black
Day, year after year, and this
KASHMIR INSIGHT
observance should be under-
stood in a proper historical
perspective. New Delhi has been
resorting to the worst kind of
state terrorism in occupied
Kashmir to suppress the
Kashmiris’ liberation struggle.
Indian troops and police
personnel have killed over one
hundred thousand Kashmiris
since 1989.
The Kashmiris on the Black Day,
this year, once again reiterated
their resolve to continue their
struggle till they achieve
freedom from the Indian bond-
age. The observance of the Black
Day should serve as an eye-
opener for New Delhi, which
must understand that it had
miserably failed to subdue the
liberation sentiment of the
Kashmiri people and they will
not rest until they were given an
opportunity to exercise their
right to self-determination. The
world community in general and
the United Nations in particular
must play an effective role in the
resolution of the lingering
Kashmir dispute on durable
basis to ensure permanent peace
and stability not only in South
Asia but also in the world.
(Humayun Aziz Sandeela)
FEBRUARY 2018 06
Report

Kashmiris observe Right to Self-Determination Day

UN urged to implement its resolutions on Kashmir
Kashmiris on both sides of the troops set the town ablaze on 6th Indian police also arrested APHC
Line of Control and the world January in 1993. leader, Muhammad Yousuf
over observed the Right to Self- Naqash, and lodged him at Safa
Earlier, the puppet authorities
determination Day on January 5, Kadal Police Station in Srinagar.
prevented the All Parties
2018 to remind the world
Hurriyat Conference to hold a The Chairman of All Parties
community that the UN resolu-
seminar on the resolutions Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali
tions on Kashmir remained
passed by the United Nations on Gilani, in a statement in Srinagar
unimplemented even after the
Kashmir. The aim of the seminar said that India could not deny the
passage of more than six decades.
titled “Resolution of Kashmir legitimacy and authenticity of the
The United Nations Security
dispute in the light of right to self- UN resolutions that formed the
Council had adopted a resolution
determination” which was basics of the Kashmir dispute and
on January 5, 1949, acknowl-
edging the right to self-
determination of the people of
Jammu and Kashmir.
The occupation authorities had
put Hurriyat leaders including
Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, Muhammad Yasin
Malik, Muhammad Ashraf
Sehrai, Aasiya Andrabi,
Muhammad Yousuf Naqash,
Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Ghulam
Ahmed Gulzar, Bilal Siddiqi,
Syed Imtiaz Haider, Muhammad
Yasin Atai and Molvi Bashir
Irfani under house arrest or in
custody to prevent them from scheduled to be held at the guaranteed its peaceful settle-
carrying out activities in connec- residence of the APHC ment as per the aspirations of the
tion with the Right to Self- Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, was people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Determination Day. to deliberate upon the Kashmir He said even after seven decades
The detention of leaders was also resolutions, which have been these resolutions are viable and
aimed at preventing them from passed by the UN since 1948. provide a peaceful and durable
participating in a rally However, the puppet authorities solution for the long-standing
announced by the Joint deployed Indian troops and dispute. He expressed dismay
Resistance Leadership police personnel in strength over the role of the UN and said
comprising Syed Ali Gilani, outside the residence-cum-office that it was painful that this
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and of Syed Ali Gilani to stop people institution failed to implement its
Muhammad Yasin Malik in from entering the venue. resolutions on Kashmir. He said
Sopore on January 06, 2018. The Ahead of the seminar, the puppet that it was unfortunate that the
resistance leaders had called for administration had detained World Body couldn’t contain the
complete shutdown in Sopore on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, arrogant India, which was
the completion of 25 years to a Muhammad Yasin Malik and trampling all ethics in Jammu
deadly massacre by the Indian other Hurriyat leaders who were and Kashmir and causing
troops in the town. Over 60 scheduled to attend the event. continuous uncertainty in the
civilians were martyred and The authorities also continued to region. Syed Ali Gilani citing the
more than 350 shops and other keep Syed Ali Gilani and his examples and procedures
structures including residential associate, Muhammad Ashraf adopted in Croatia, East Timor
houses were gutted when the Sehrai, under house arrest. The and South Sudan said, if the UN

FEBRUARY 2018 07
Report
can settle these issues, what is the
reason that the oldest pending
issue is ignored and brushed
under the carpet? He said that the
unresolved Kashmir dispute was
a bone of contention between
Pakistan and India and if the UN
failed to play its role in its
settlement, the peace of South
Asia and the entire world would
remain under severe threat.
The Chairman of Hurriyat forum,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a
statement in Srinagar said that
the UN resolutions provided the
constitutional base for the
settlement of the Kashmir
dispute. He said that India’s
continued intransigence over the
dispute was the main impedi-
ment to the implementation of
the UN resolutions. The Mirwaiz
expressed anguish over the non-
implementation of the UN
resolutions on Kashmir even
after the passing of several
decades.
The illegally detained Chairman
of Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front, Muhammad
Yasin Malik, in a statement
issued in Srinagar said that India
had turned occupied Kashmir
into a big jail. He said that
arresting people, placing
Hurriyat leaders under house
arrest and clamping curfews and
restrictions had become order of
the day in the occupied territory.
He said that the puppet rulers
had propagated slogans like
“battle of ideas” and tried to
deceive the people but failed in
their nefarious designs.
The JKLF Chairman said that the
main objective of the puppet
rulers and the Indian forces was
to suppress the Kashmiris’ voice
in the name of cordon and search
operations to force them to give
up their resistance against the
Indian illegal occupation. He said
that India’s military might could
not intimidate the Kashmiri
people into submission and they
would continue their struggle till
complete success.
Other Hurriyat leaders and
organisations including Agha
Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi,
Ghulam Muhammad Khan
Sopori, Muhammad Yousuf
Naqash, Bilal Siddiqi, Zamruda
Habib, Yasmeen Raja, Farida
Bahenji, Nahida Nasreen, Hilal
Ahmed War, Javaid Ahmed Mir,
Zafar Akbar Butt, Firdous
Ahmed Shah, Shabbir Ahmed
Dar, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo,
the Jammu and Kashmir
Democratic Freedom Party, the
High Court Bar Association of
occupied Kashmir, the Jammu
and Kashmir Peoples Freedom
League, and the Jammu and
Kashmir Muslim League in their
statements said that the UN
resolutions provided base to the
Kashmiris’ liberation struggle.
They deplored that the UN had
failed to implement its resolu-
tions on Kashmir despite the
passing of several decades.
Meanwhile, a seminar was held
under the auspices of the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(APHC-AJK) chapter in
Islamabad to mark the passing of
a resolution on Kashmir by the
UN on 5th January in 1949. The
speakers on the occasion high-
lighted the importance of the UN
resolutions on Kashmir and said
that the January 5 resolution of
the World Body provided legal
FEBRUARY 2018 08
Report
base to the Kashmiris’ struggle as
it had acknowledged the right to
self-determination of the
Kashmiri people.
They deplored that the UN
resolutions could not be imple-
mented so far and the Kashmir
dispute remained unsettled
despite the passing of over seven
decades just because of India’s
intransigence. They said that
India had converted the entire
occupied Kashmir into a big
prison where all basic freedoms
of the people had been usurped.
They said that during the year
2017, Indian troops and police
had blinded hundreds of
Kashmiris and injured thousands
of others by firing pellets, bullets
and teargas shells on peaceful
protesters while hundreds of
Hurriyat leaders, activists and
youth were booked under
draconian law, Public Safety Act.
The speakers said that the worst
kinds of Indian brutalities had
failed to subdue the Kashmiris’
liberation sentiment and they
were determined to take their
ongoing freedom movement to
its logical conclusion at all costs.
They also urged the United
Nations and world human rights
organisations to impress upon
India to stop killing spree, repeal
draconian laws in occupied
Kashmir, release all illegally
detained Kashmiris and settle the
lingering Kashmir dispute in
accordance with the aspirations
of the Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, amidst high-pitched
slogans, mammoth public rallies
were taken out in different parts
of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to
mark the Right to Self-
Determination Day. The rallies at
Muzaffarabad, Mirpur,
Rawalakot and other places
participated by thousands of
people belonging to all spheres of
life called upon the UN to
implement its resolutions on
Kashmir in letter and spirit.
In Mirpur, the public rally was
taken out from the District Court
premises under the auspices of
the National Events Organising
Committee (NEOC) and was
participated by people from all
segments of the society including
workers of social, political and
religious organisations, lawyers,
journalists, human rights
activists, business community
members, students, government
employees and workers of
various private and autonomous
bodies.
The rally passed through
Kashmir Press Club Road, Mian
Muhammad Road, Allama Iqbal
Road and culminated at central
Shaheed Chowk. Through
various unanimously-passed
resolutions, the rally reiterated
the Kashmiris’ just and princi-
pled stance that they would
continue their struggle for
securing their right to self-
determination till the achieve-
ment of the ultimate goal.
The participants of the rally
strongly condemned the
repeated ceasefire violations at
the Line of Control and the
Working Boundary by Indian
troops through the frequent
incidents of unprovoked firing.
They called upon the UN and
major world powers to take
immediate note of India’s
aggressive designs in the region.
FEBRUARY 2018 09
Report
Bloodbath by Indian troops in IOK continues
In occupied Kashmir, Indian
troops killed four innocent
civilians in cold blood in the
month of January 2018 in
Shopian district.
Three youth identified as Javaid
Ahmed Butt, Suhail Javaid Lone
and Rayees Ahmed Ganai were
critically injured in the firing of
the troops on demonstrators in
Ganowpora area of Shopian
district on January 27. Javaid
Ahmed Butt and Suhail Javaid
Lone were declared as brought
dead to the hospital while Rayees
Ahmed Ganai succumbed to his
injuries at a hospital in Srinagar
on January 31 after battling for
his life for four days.
Earlier, another youth, Shakir
Ahmed Mir, was killed at
Chaigund in Shopian district on
January 24 when the Indian
troops opened fire on demon-
strations against killing of two
other youth by the troops during
a violent siege and search
operation in the area. The
Shopian district remained shut
for seven consecutive days to
mourn the killing of the civilians.
Thousands of people had
participated in the funerals of the
martyrs at their respective
villages. They had raised high-
pitched anti-India and pro-
freedom slogans during the
funeral processions. The puppet
authorities had deployed Indian
troops and police personnel in
strength to prevent people from
staging demonstrations against
the killings. The authorities had
also suspended mobile internet
services in Shopian and
Pulwama for days together.
However, despite restrictions,
mourners continued visiting
Ganowpora and Balpora areas of
Shopian district to express
solidarity with the families of the
martyred youth.
Complete shutdown was
observed in occupied Kashmir
on January 28 to register protest
against the killing, use of brute
force on protesters and other
brutalities of the Indian troops in
the occupied territory. Call for
the shutdown was given by the
Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik. All
shops, business establishments
and government and private
offices were closed while
transport was off the road.
On January 29, a peaceful protest
rally was taken out from Aabi
Guzar to Lal Chowk in Srinagar
to condemn the killing spree and
frequent cordon and search
operations by the Indian forces’
personnel in south and north
Kashmir. Call for the march was
given by the Joint Resistance
Leadership comprising Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
The participants of the march
staged a sit-in at Press Colony in
Srinagar.
On January 31, a big protest
demonstration led by senior
resistance leader, Muhammad
Yasin Malik, was held outside
Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of
Srinagar against the surge in
killings by the Indian troops in
occupied Kashmir. The protest
was organised by the Joint
Resistance Leadership. Syed Ali
Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq could not participate in
the protest as they continued to
remain under house detention.
However, they addressed the
participants of the rally over
phone from their residences. The
protesters while marching on the
streets of Nowhatta raised high-
pitched pro-freedom and anti-
India slogans.
Other resistance leaders
including Muhammad Yousuf
Naqash, Yasmeen Raja, Noor
Muhammad Kalwal, Omar Aadil
Dar, Bashir Ahmed Kashmiri
and Farooq Ahmed Sodagar also
participated in the protest.
After the march, Muhammad
Yasin Malik while addressing a
press conference strongly
condemned the detention of
Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz
FEBRUARY 2018 10
Report
Umar Farooq. He said that the
Indian forces’ personnel were
spilling the blood of innocent
Kashmiri people. He said that
men, women and children were
ordered by the Indian troops to
come out of their houses during
cordon and search operations
and were subjected to identity
parade for hours in chilling cold.
The resistance leaders, Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik, in
a joint statement issued in
Srinagar said that New Delhi had
turned Jammu and Kashmir into
a slaughter house where the
Indian troops were killing young
and old, men and women and
even children with impunity.
They said that the increasing
incidents of killings were proof
of genocide of the Kashmiris
being carried out under the
supervision of India and its
puppet regime in the territory.
The resistance leaders said,
though this genocide is going on
from last many decades but the
Indian soldiers at the behest of
their political masters have
expedited this killing spree from
the last some months. They said,
from north to south Kashmir
attacks on Kashmiri women have
also increased and recently two
women from Handwara and
Shopian were shot dead by the
Indian troops while several
people including two innocent
girls, Saima and Sumera, were
critically injured in the firing of
bullets and pellets by the forces’
personnel.
Other Hurriyat leaders and
organisations including Agha
Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-
Safvi, Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi,
Ghulam Muhammad Khan
Sopori, Muhammad Yousuf
Naqash, Zamruda Habib, Farida
Bahenji, Mushtaq-ul-Islam,
Muhammad Iqbal Mir,
Muhammad Ahsan Untoo,
Jammu and Kashmir National
Front, Jammu and Kashmir
Muslim League, Voice of Victims
and High Court Bar Association
of occupied Kashmir in their
statements strongly condemned
the killing of civilians. They
deplored that India had given its
troops a license to kill the
Kashmiri people to suppress
their freedom sentiment. They
said that the sacrifices rendered
by the Kashmiri martyrs would
not be allowed to go waste and
the ongoing liberation move-
ment would be taken to its logical
conclusion at all costs.
On the other hand, Foreign
Office of Pakistan in a statement
also condemned the civilian
killings in Shopian. The Foreign
Office spokesman, Dr
Muhammad Faisal, addressing
weekly briefing in Islamabad on
January 28 said that countering
peaceful and unarmed protesters
with lethal weapons and direct
bullets was a manifestation of the
state terrorism being perpetrated
by India against the Kashmiris on
daily basis. He said that valiant
people of occupied Kashmir had
proved time and again that no
amount of the Indian brutalities
could dissuade them from
continuing their legitimate and
just struggle for securing their
inalienable right to self-
determination.
FEBRUARY 2018 11
Article
Why solidarity with Kashmiris!
Muhammad Raza Malik
Background:
Kashmiris have been rendering
unparalleled sacrifices since 1947
in their indigenous struggle
aimed at securing freedom from
India's illegal occupation of their
homeland. During all this period,
Pakistan is the only country of the
world that has extended all-out
support to the just cause of the
Kashmiri people. The people of
occupied Kashmir gave impetus
to their struggle for securing their
right to self-determination in 1989
and the mass movement gave
sleepless nights to the Indian
rulers. In a bid to crush this
popular movement, India
dismissed the government of
Farooq Abdullah and appointed
Jagmohan Malhotra - who was
notorious for his anti-Muslim bias
and activities in India - as the
Governor of the occupied
territory on January 19, 1990. His
appointment was followed by a
series of massacres and other
brutalities by the Indian troops in
the occupied territory. One of
these deadly massacres was
carried out on January 21, 1989
when over 50 people were killed
and hundreds of others injured by
the troops by opening
indiscriminate fire on peaceful
demonstrations in Gaw Kadal
area of Srinagar. On that day,
thousands of people had taken to
the streets in Srinagar against the
molestation of several women by
the troops on the previous night
during house raids in the city.
The bloodbath caused resentment
in Pakistan and the ensuing 5th
February was declared as a
solidarity day all across the
country. Since then, every year,
government and people of
Pakistan, at home and across the
world, have been observing the
day as Kashmir Solidarity Day to
express oneness and unity with
the oppressed people of occupied
Kashmir. This public holiday in
Pakistan is marked by seminars,
conferences and demonstrations
highlighting different aspects of
the Kashmir dispute and the
gross human rights violations
being committed by the Indian
troops in occupied Kashmir. The
overseas Pakistanis and
Kashmiris organise special events
in world capitals to remind the
international community of its
responsibilities towards
settlement of the Kashmir dispute
for ensuring peace and stability in
the South Asian region.
History of Kashmir dispute
It is a historical fact that India had
illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir by landing its troops in
Srinagar on 27th October, 1947
against the wishes of the
Kashmiri people and in total
disregard to the Partition Plan of
the Indian subcontinent that had
resulted in the formation of two
new independent counties -
Pakistan and India. At the end of
British suzerainty over Indian
sub-continent in 1947, more than
550 Princely States had become
independent but with a choice to
accede either to Pakistan or India.
Being a Muslim-majority state,
Jammu and Kashmir had a
natural tendency to accede to
Pakistan, but the evil designs of
its Hindu ruler and the leaders of
Indian National Congress and
Britain destroyed the future of the
people of the territory thus
sowing the seeds of the Kashmir
dispute. India claims that it
signed 'Instrument of Accession',
which was drafted in Delhi and
presented to the then ruler of
Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja
Hari Singh, on October 26.
However, a prominent British
historian, Alistair Lamb,
challenging the Indian invasion
in Kashmir, in his book “The Birth
of Tragedy” wrote that the
successive events after the
partition of the united India
strongly suggested that the
Indian troops had invaded
Kashmir prior to the signing of
the Instrument of Accession. He
believed that a signed instrument
of accession did not exist at all and
argued that due to this reason the
Indian government never made
the so-called document public
FEBRUARY 2018 12
Article
either officially or at any
international forum.
The people of Jammu and
Kashmir strongly resisted the
Indian occupation and launched a
mass struggle, liberating a vast
area now known as Azad Jammu
and Kashmir. Their resilience
brought India at the verge of
defeat and it sought the help of
the international community to
settle the Kashmir dispute. On 1st
January 1948, New Delhi
approached the United Nations
Security Council, which in its
successive resolutions - accepted
by both Pakistan and India -
promised holding of a free and
impartial plebiscite under the
UN-supervision to enable the
Kashmiri people to decide their
future themselves. These UN
resolutions and the pledges made
by the Indian leadership remain
unimplemented even after the
passing of several decades.
Bonds between Pakistanis and
Kashmiris
Pakistan's affinity with the people
of Kashmir can be understood in
the backdrop of several reasons.
Both share strong bonds in
respect of religion, geography,
culture and aspirations. Since
1947, India's brutal occupation
has been the cause of continued
sufferings of the people of Jammu
and Kashmir. Due to the atrocities
of Indian troops, hundreds of
thousands of Kashmiri people
have migrated to Pakistan from
the occupied territory and the
main driving force behind their
movement has been their strong
emotional attachment to the
country. This affiliation has been
accepted even by the first Prime
Minister of India, Jawaharlal
Nehru. When asked a question in
1965 about holding of plebiscite in
Kashmir, he had responded,
“Kashmiris would vote to join
Pakistan and we would lose it. No
Indian government responsible
for agreeing to a plebiscite would
survive.”
The passing of a resolution by the
genuine representatives of
Kashmiris in the meeting of
Muslim Conference Jammu and
Kashmir in Srinagar on 19th July
1947 is a strong evidence of the
ideological commonality
between Pakistan and Jammu
and Kashmir and showed that the
Kashmiri people had attached the
future of the territory with
Pakistan. The resolution declared
that Jammu and Kashmir would
be a part of Pakistan and this
development had happened
about a month before the creation
of Pakistan. The people of
occupied Kashmir have time and
again showed their attachment
with Pakistan by raising the
slogans of “Long Live Pakistan”
and “We Want Pakistan.” They
hoist Pakistani flags on the
national days of the country and
d u r i n g a n t i - I n d i a
demonstrations, whereas they
observe such days of India as
black days. Wrapping their
martyrs in Pakistani flags before
burial is a common practice of the
Kashmiris.
The matter of fact is that both
Pakistanis and Kashmiris
consider the Kashmir dispute as
an unfinished agenda of the
partition of the South Asian sub-
continent in 1947 and the
liberation struggle of the people
of Jammu and Kashmir as an
inseparable part of Pakistan
FEBRUARY 2018 13
Article
Movement.
Pakistan's unflinching support
The leaders of Pakistan have
always represented the
Kashmiris' aspirations and never
betrayed the faith reposed on
them by the Kashmiri people. It
was his commitment to the
interests of the people of Kashmir
that drove father of the nation,
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali
Jinnah, to visit Jammu and
Kashmir three times before 1947.
He had rightly termed Kashmir as
the “Jugular Vein” of Pakistan.
Former Prime Minister, Zulfiqar
Ali Bhutto, had vowed to wage a
thousand-year war for Kashmir.
Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi, and the Army Chief,
Qamar Javed Bajwa, are
forcefully advocating settlement
of the conflict over Kashmir in
accordance with the Kashmiris'
aspirations in line with the
relevant UN resolutions for
ensuring durable peace in South
Asia. It is a reality that despite
being the victim of Indian
military aggression for
supporting the Kashmiris during
the past over seven decades,
Pakistan never gave up its
support to the Kashmir cause and
continues to advocate resolution
of the dispute to the satisfaction of
the Kashmiri people.
Indian state terrorism in IOK
New Delhi has exhausted all its
resources during the past over
seven decades but has miserably
failed to intimidate the people of
Jammu and Kashmir into
submission and efface their love
for Pakistan from their hearts. On
one hand, it wants to compel
Pakistan to give up its support to
the Kashmiri people, while on the
other, it has been resorting to the
worst kind of state
terrorism in
occupied Kashmir.
Since 1989, when
the people of
occupied Kashmir
intensified their
freedom struggle,
the Indian forces'
p e r s o n n e l
e n j o y i n g
unbridled powers
u n d e r t h e
protection of draconian laws like
Armed Forces Special Powers Act
and Disturbed Areas Act in the
occupied territory have martyred
over ninety-four thousand
Kashmiris, widowed more than
twenty-two thousand women,
orphaned not less than one
hundred thousand children and
molested or gang-raped more
than eleven thousand Kashmiri
women. While the whereabouts
of thousands of innocent youth
subjected to disappearance in
custody remain untraced, the
shocking discovery of thousands
of mass graves across the
occupied territory has raised
concerns about the safety of the
disappeared persons.
In 2008, the people of occupied
Kashmir gave a new dimension to
their struggle to get rid of the
Indian bondage. They started to
hit the streets in thousands and
demand their inalienable right to
self-determination in a peaceful
manner. This mass uprising
continued for three consecutive
years - some times the number of
peaceful protesters thronging the
streets of Srinagar surpassing
one-million mark. But most of the
times, Indian forces' personnel
responded these peaceful
demonstrators with excessive use
of brute force, killing more than
200 people during this period.
The extrajudicial murder of
popular youth leader, Burhan
Muzaffar Wani, on July 8, 2016 by
the Indian troops provided a fillip
to the Kashmiris' freedom
movement. Since then, the people
are taking to the streets in large
numbers in every nook and
corner of the occupied territory
on daily basis, demanding
freedom from Indian yoke.
However, the Indian police and
troops continue to use every
brutal tactic against the
protesters. So far, 172 civilians
have been killed and 20,765
injured in the firing of pellets,
FEBRUARY 2018 14
Article
bullets and teargas shells on the
demonstrators. More than 280
youth have lost their one or both
eyes to the pellet injuries while
around 1,000 are at the verge of
losing their eyesight. Hundreds
of people including Hurriyat
leaders have been put behind the
bars. However, all these
brutalities could not suppress the
Kashmiris' resolve and they are
committed to take their ongoing
liberation movement to its logical
conclusion at all costs.
Unfortunately, instead of
respecting the aspirations of the
Kashmiri people, India alongside
continuing its state terrorism is
staging election dramas in
occupied Kashmir to mislead the
world opinion about the Kashmir
dispute and the prevailing
deteriorating human rights
situation in the occupied
territory.
India's new tactics
The present Indian government
led by Narendra Modi is hell-bent
upon the complete merger of
Jammu and Kashmir with India
and to change the Muslim
majority of occupied Kashmir
into minority. On one hand, it is
using its judiciary to abrogate
Article 370 and Article 35-A of the
Indian Constitution to pave way
for giving the citizenship rights of
Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian
citizens. On the other, it is using
its investigating agencies like
National Investigation Agency
(NIA) and Enforcement
Directorate to implicate Hurriyat
leaders, activists and pro-
freedom people in false cases to
force the Kashmiris into
submission. Indian designs to
change demography of Jammu
and Kashmir are intended to
influence in
its favour
the results
o f a future of millions of Kashmiris is
referendum
whenever it
is held in
t h e the international community that
territory.
As such, the
move is
against the
v e r y
purpose of the relevant UN
resolutions. Unfortunately, the
international community,
particularly the UN, is turning a
blind eye to India's actions in
Kashmir resulting in the
continued sufferings of the
Kashmiri people.
Kashmir a flashpoint
Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint as
it involves two nuclear-armed
neighbours - Pakistan and India.
It is the responsibility of the
world community to realise the
sensitivity of the matter. It must
take cognisance of the fact that
due to India's unrealistic and
intransigent attitude, the peace
and stability of the entire South
Asia are at stake.
Conclusion
In view of the precarious nature
of situation where two nuclear-
armed neighbours are facing
each other, the international
community must take the
situation seriously. Besides, the
at stake owing to the stubborn
and inflexible behaviour of India.
5th February is a wake-up call for
it should employ reason and
solve this dispute. The supreme
sacrifices of Kashmiris must not
go unheard and waste. The
resolutions of the UN should not
be desecrated and the human
rights violations by India should
not be overlooked. 5th February
is a reminder, a stark reminder! It
should give the message to the
people of Jammu and Kashmir
that they are not alone in their
just struggle and not only
Pakistan, but the entire peace
and justice-loving community of
the world stands with them.
(The writer is working as Senior
Editor at Kashmir Media Service,
Islamabad, and can be reached at
razamalik849@yahoo.com)
FEBRUARY 2018 15
01-01-2018 Tral 04-01-2018 Kupwara 08-01-2018 Budgam

10-01-2018 Kulgam 16-01-2018 Srinagar 17-01-2018 Srinagar 25-01-2018 Shopian

26-01-2018 Srinagar 31-01-2018 Srinagar

30-01-2018 Shopian
Human Rights Situation

Indian troops enjoying unbridled

powers under draconian laws in
occupied Kashmir are using every
brutal tactic to suppress the
Kashmiris' struggle aimed at
securing their inalienable right to
self-determination. They are
committing gross human rights
violations - in fact war crimes - to
intimidate the Kashmiris into
submission. Killings, arrests,
extrajudicial executions, fake
encounters, destruction of property
and molestation of women by the
forces' personnel have become the
order of the day in the occupied
territory.
The world human rights watchdog,
Amnesty International, has said
that hundreds of people have been
blinded due to the use of pellet-
firing shotguns - which are
inherently inaccurate and
indiscriminate - by the Indian
forces' personnel against
demonstrations. The Amnesty
International has launched a
postcard campaign to press for the
ban on the use of this lethal weapon
in the territory. The campaign calls
for conducting an independent
investigation into all cases of
killings and serious injuries caused
by the pellets. Aakar Patel, the
Executive Director of Amnesty
International India-chapter while
launching the campaign said that it
was unconscionable for the
authorities to continue using pellet-
firing shotguns despite being aware
of the damage they caused.
The world community must
impress upon India to stop its state
terrorism in occupied Kashmir and
give the Kashmiri people an
opportunity to decide their fate by
themselves.
Following is an account of the
Indian atrocities on the people of
occupied Kashmir during the
month of January 2018.
HR abuses by Indian troops
in IOK during January 2018
Compiled by Raies Ahmed Mir
January 01: Indian troops
killed a youth during a siege
and search operation at
Lethpora in Pulwama district.
Body of the youth was
recovered from the debris of a
residential house destroyed by
the troops in the area. Several
people were injured after the
troops fired bullets, pellets and
teargas shells on the mourners
in Drubgam area of the district.
January 02: Indian troops
barged into a coaching centre
at Shahgund in Hajin area of
Bandipora district and
thrashed two teachers.
An 18-year-old youth,
Manzoor Ahmed Rather, was
injured after he was fired upon
by the troops when he was
returning from the funeral of a
martyred youth at Drubgam in
Pulwama.
January 03: Indian armed
agents killed a 25-year-old
youth, Arif Ahmed Sofi, at
Bomai in Sopore area of
Baramulla district. Indian
police arrested a youth, Miyser
Majid Butt, from Pattan area of
the district.
The puppet authorities
detained several Hurriyat
leaders including Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Bilal
Siddiqi, Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar,
Molvi Bashir Ahmed,
Muhammad Yasin Atai and
Syed Imtiaz Haider in Srinagar
and Budgam areas.
January 04: The occupation
authorities did not allow the
Chairman of All Parties
Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali
Gilani, to hold a seminar on the
resolutions passed by the UN on
Kashmir and detained all top
Hurriyat leaders and activists in
Srinagar.
January 05: Six people were
injured after Indian forces'
personnel used brute force
during a crackdown operation at
Kareemabad in Pulwama
district
The authorities detained
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, Muhammad Ashraf
Sehrai and Ghulam Nabi Zaki in
Srinagar and did not allow them
to attend the congregational
Friday prayers.
January 07: Indian police
arrested four cricketers
including Latief Ahmed,

KASHMIR INSIGHT FEBRUARY 2018 18

Human Rights Situation

Mudasir Ahmed and Irfan

Ahmed for playing Pakistan's
national anthem during a match
at Arin in Bandipore district.
The police arrested two youth
from Hajin and Sopore areas.
January 08: Indian troops killed a
youth during a siege and search
operation at Zohama Chadoora in
Budgam district. Body of the
youth was recovered from the
debris of a residential house
destroyed by the troops in the
area.
Over a dozen people were injured
after Indian forces' personnel
fired bullets, pellets and teargas
personnel fired teargas shells on Indian police arrested the
shells on protesters in Budgam
protesters in Shopian and Sopore Chairman of Ummat-e-Islami,
and Pulwama areas.
areas. Qazi Ahmed Yasir, during a pro-
January 09: A youth, Khalid
Indian police detained a Kashmiri freedom march in Khudwani and
Ahmed Dar, was killed and over a
businessman, Bilal Ahmed Kawa, lodged him at Saddar Police
dozen others were injured when
from the Delhi Airport. Station in Islamabad town.
Indian troops and police
January 11: Two civilians January 14: Indian forces'
personnel fired bullets and pellets
sustained injuries after the Indian personnel barged into the
on protesters at Khudwani in
troops thrashed them during a residential houses and damaged
Kulgam.
cordon and search operation in household goods at Hariparbat in
The troops killed a 16-year-old
Samboora area of Pulwama. Hawal area of Srinagar.
boy, Muhammad Farhan Wani,
Indian police arrested two youth Indian police arrested Hurriyat
during a crackdown operation at
from Meminder in Shopian. leaders including Muhammad
Pehlipora Larnoo in Kokernag
January 12: Indian police Ashraf Sehrai, Muhammad
area of Islamabad district.
detained Hurriyat leaders Ashraf Laya and Umar Aadil Dar
A civilian, Muhammad Hussain
including Syed Ali Gilani, in Srinagar.
Ittoo, died after a speedy vehicle
Mirwaiz Umar January 15: Indian troops killed
Farooq, Aasiya six youth during a violent
Andrabi, Umar military operation at Dulanja in
Aadil Dar, Bilal Uri area of Baramulla district.
Siddiqi and The police arrested four youth
Mukhtar Ahmed from Kupwara.
Waza in their January 16: A civilian,
houses and police Muhammad Ayoub Mir, who
stations. was injured in the firing of Indian
January 13: troops on peaceful protesters in
Several people Batmurran Shopian on December
including a 19, 2017, succumbed to his
woman were injuries in a hospital in Shopian.
injured after The police arrested four youth
of the Indian Army deliberately Indian forces' personnel fired from Pulwama and Handwara
hit him at Vessu in Kulgam bullet in Nawa Kadal area of areas.
district. Srinagar. January 17: An Indian police
Indian police arrested over a Indian troops vandalised officer abducted, raped and killed
dozen youth during a crackdown property and thrashed several an 8-year-old Asifia Banu at
operation at Watlab in Sopore. residents during a cordon and Rasana in Hiranagar tehsil of
January 10: Several youth were search operation at Midoora Kathua district.
injured after Indian forces' Awantipora in Pulwama district. The troops beat up several

KASHMIR INSIGHT FEBRUARY 2018 19

Human Rights Situation
people, ransacked houses,
damaged vehicles and broke
windows during a cordon and
search operation at Pinjora in
Shopian.
January 18: The troops barged
into the residential houses,
manhandled and thrashed people
and misbehaved with women at
Panewa in Kulgam.
January 19: The puppet
authorities detained scores of
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Yasin Malik and
Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar in their
houses and police stations.
January 20: Indian troops barged
into the houses, beat up inmates
and damaged properties at
Redwani Bala in Kulgam.
January 22: The troops forcefully
entered into a Daar-ul-Uloom and
abused the students at
Maharajpora in Sopore.
January 24: The troops killed
three youth, Firdous Ahmed,
Sameer Ahmed Wani and Shakir
Ahmed Mir and critically injured
over a dozen people including
two teenage girls, Sabeena Butt
and Sumaia Wani, during a
crackdown operation at
Chaigund in Shopian. The troops
also blasted a residential house in
the area.
January 25: A 10-year-old boy,
Musharraf Fayaz Najar, was
critically injured when a live shell
exploded at Chaigund in
Shopian. The
explosion
occurred
when people
were clearing
the debris of
the house
blasted by the
troops in the
area, the
other day.
An Indian
Army vehicle
deliberately hit and injured three
youth in Kundalan area of
Shopian.
January 26: The puppet
authorities put the entire
occupied Kashmir especially
Srinagar and Jammu cities under
siege on the occasion of India's
Republic Day by deploying
Indian troops and police
personnel in strength in every
nook and corner of the occupied
territory. The forces' personnel
conducted frisking and checking
of vehicles and passengers in
Srinagar and other major towns
besides carrying out surprise
raids in different areas. The
authorities placed Hurriyat
leaders including Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and Hilal
Ahmed War under house arrest
or in custody to prevent them
from leading anti-India
KASHMIR INSIGHT
demonstrations. The authorities
also sealed the Jamia Masjid,
Srinagar, and disallowed people
from offering Juma prayers while
mobile internet services across
the occupied territory were
suspended.
January 27: A 12th class student,
Suhail Javaid Lone, and an 11th
class student, Javaid Ahmed Butt,
were killed and over two dozen
youth including Rayees Ahmed
Ganai were injured in the firing of
Indian troops at Ganowpora in
Shopian district.
Both eyes of a youth, Aamir
Shabbir Butt, were damaged after
Indian forces' personnel fired
pellets on protesters at Cheva
Kalan in Pulwama.
Indian troops during house-to-
house searches harassed people
at Watnag in Islamabad.
January 29: The puppet
authorities booked a Hurriyat
activist, Abdul Samad Inqilabi,
under draconian law, Public
Safety Act, for the third time.
January 30: The authorities put
Hurriyat leaders, Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and
Bilal Siddiqi under house arrest in
Srinagar.
January 31: A youth, Rayees
Ahmed Ganai, who was injured
in the firing of Indian troops on
protesters at Ganowpora in
Shopian on January 27,
succumbed to his injuries at the
Soura Institute of Medical
Sciences in Srinagar.
FEBRUARY 2018 20
Report
Kashmiri martyrs of 1990s massacres remembered
Impartial probe into mass killings in IOK demanded
In occupied Kashmir, Hurriyat
leaders and organisations paid
rich tributes to the martyrs of
Gaw Kadal, Handwara, Kupwara
and Sopore massacres carried out
by the Indian troops in 1990s.
They termed the sacrifices of
martyrs as a priceless asset of the
ongoing freedom movement and
reiterated the Kashmiris’ commit-
ment to carry forward the
martyrs’ mission till it reached its
logical conclusion. They also
demanded of the international
community to pay heed to the
woes of the oppressed Kashmiris
and conduct impartial probe into
all incidents of mass killings to
bring the involved Indian troops
and police personnel to book.
Around two hundred civilians
were butchered by the Indian
forces’ personnel during the
incidents of mass killings in the
month of January in 1990s in Gaw
Kadal, Handwara, Sopore and
Kupwara.
More than 50 persons were killed
and hundreds others injured in
the indiscriminate firing by the
personnel of Indian Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on
January 21, 1990, at Gaw Kadal in
Srinagar. The CRPF troops
opened fire on peaceful demon-
strators who were peacefully
protesting against wanton arrests
and molestation of several
women by the troops in Chota
Bazaar locality of Srinagar during
the previous night. The incident
took place soon after communal
Jagmohan Malhotra was
appointed as the Governor of
occupied Kashmir to suppress
the mass uprising in the occupied
territory.
It merits mentioning here that on
January 20, 1990, Jagmohan’s first
television address as Governor of
the occupied territory stunned
everyone. It was clear-cut
provocative speech and a direct
threat in which he said that if
anybody created a law and order
problem ‘Meray haathon say
aman ka patta khisak jaye ga (the
cards of peace I’m carrying will
slip away from my hands)’. And
in less than 24 hours the threat
was translated into action in a
brutal manner.
A few days later on January 25,
two patrolling parties of the
Indian Border Security Force in
Handwara opened indiscrimi-
nate fire on thousands of peaceful
and unarmed people who were
protesting against the Gaw Kadal
massacre. More than 20 people
were killed in the BSF firing in the
township during the second
carnage that occurred after
Jagmohan Malhotra’s appoint-
ment as Governor of the occupied
territory.
On January 6, 1993, more than 50
people were martyred and
hundreds others injured when
the BSF troops resorted to
indiscriminate firing in Sopore in
vengeance of the killing of one of
their colleagues in an attack. The
troops had set the market of the
town ablaze gutting down more
than 350 shops, houses and other
structures.
On January 27, 1994, the
personnel of Punjab Regiment of
Indian Army opened unpro-
voked and indiscriminate fire
near a bus stop in Kupwara to
punish people for observing
shutdown on India’s Republic
Day (26th January). The blood-
bath had left 27 civilians dead.
Complete shutdown was
observed in Gaw Kadal area of
Srinagar on 21st January,
Handwara on 25th and Kupwara
on 27th January on the call given
by the Joint Resistance
Leadership comprising Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
The puppet authorities had
imposed restrictions in Srinagar
on January 21 to prevent people
from staging demonstrations
against the massacre. The
authorities continued to put
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik
FEBRUARY 2018 21
Report
under house arrest or in custody
to stop them from leading the
demonstrations.
However, defying restrictions,
resistance leaders and activists
organised a rally at Basant Bagh
to pay homage to the martyrs of
the Gaw Kadal massacre. Those
who participated in the demon-
stration included Mukhtar
Ahmed Sofi, Sheikh Abdul
Rasheed, Rameez Raja and Imtiaz
Ahmed Shah. Hurriyat leaders,
Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Imtiaz
Ahmed Reshi and Tahoor
Siddiqi, also visited the site of
Gaw Kadal massacre to pay
tributes to the martyrs of 1990.
On the other hand, complete
strike was observed in Handwara
on January 25 to demand justice
for the victims of the deadly
massacre carried out by the
Indian Border Security Force in
the town 28 years ago. The
puppet authorities imposed
restrictions in Handwara to stop
people from holding the demon-
strations against the mass
killings. However, despite
restrictions, people staged anti-
India protests in the town to
remember the martyrs. Special
prayers were offered in mosques
and shrines for the victims.
Complete shutdown was
observed in Kupwara town on
January 27 to mark the
martyrdom anniversary of the
victims of a carnage carried out
by the Indian troops in 1994. The
authorities had imposed restric-
tions in the town to prevent
people from holding the protests.
However, groups of people in the
morning reached a local martyrs’
graveyard and offered special
prayers for the victims of the
massacre and all other Kashmiri
martyrs.
The Chairman of International
Forum for Justice and Human
Rights, Muhammad Ahsan
Untoo, organised a protest at
Pratap Park in Srinagar to press
the demand for providing justice
to the victims of Kupwara
massacre. On the occasion, he
also displayed a paper he has
compiled to show the actual facts
and involvement of the Indian
troops in the carnage. Among
others, Hurriyat leaders
including Shabbir Ahmed Dar,
Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Sajjad
Gul, Shakeel Qalander, Abdul
Majeed Zargar and Nisar
Jahangir also participated in the
protest.
Meanwhile, justice continues to
elude the families of the victims of
Kupwara massacre even after the
passing of twenty four years.
Local people had told the media
and investigation agencies that a
day before the carnage took place,
an Indian Army officer had asked
the local shopkeepers not to
observe shutdown and attend the
Republic Day celebrations at a
local camp. However, the
shopkeepers didn’t turn up at the
celebrations. On the next day,
when they were opening their
shops, the Indian soldiers came in
trucks and fired at them indis-
criminately, killing 27 people and
injuring scores of others.
In the wake of a petition filed by
the Chairman of International
Forum for Justice and Human
Rights, Muhammad Ahsan
Untoo, the Human Rights
Commission of the occupied
territory had asked the authori-
ties concerned to submit a report
FEBRUARY 2018 22
Report
about the massacre.
A police team investigating the
incident had sought response
from the army, which issued a
letter stating that a Court of
Inquiry had been constituted to
probe the incident but the
outcome of the Court of Inquiry
was not furnished to the police.
A CID report reads that on 24th
September 2004, the police re-
opened the case and an additional
SP was tasked with the inquiry
but despite repeated requests the
army did not provide the requi-
site information. However, the
army services corps’ 31 medical
regiment had said
that no documents
regarding the case
were lying with it
and had asked the
CID to approach the
28 Infantry
Division.
A letter was written
to the 28 Infantry
Division on 28th
May, 2005, for
information
regarding the case
but till date the said
unit has furnished
nothing even after repeated
reminders.
In response to a rejoinder filed by
Muhammad Ahsan Untoo on
11th May, 2012, Inspector
General of Police (CID) submitted
a report to the Director General of
Police wherein he stated that the
forces’ personnel deployed in
Kupwara under the command of
2nd Lieutenant, S Bakhshi, had
indiscriminately fired at Bus
Stand Kupwara without any
provocation, killing several
persons and injuring many
others.
The Human Rights Commission
had also asked the Indian
Ministry of Home Affairs to
persuade the Ministry of Defence
to cooperate with the police in the
investigation. The Home
Ministry had referred the case to
the Defence Ministry but no
progress was made.
Earlier on January 6, complete
strike was observed in Sopore to
mark the completion of 25 years
to a brutal massacre in the town.
All shops and business establish-
ments remained closed while
traffic was of the road. Only
Indian police and paramilitary
personnel were seen patrolling
the deserted streets and roads in
the town. The resistance leaders
had also announced to hold a
rally in the town to pay tributes to
the victims of the massacre.
However, the puppet authorities
had sealed all entry and exit
points of Sopore by deploying
Indian troops and police
personnel in strength to prevent
people from holding the rally.
The authorities had put Hurriyat
leaders including Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Aasiya Andrabi, Muhammad
Yousuf Naqash, Mukhtar Ahmed
Waza, Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar,
Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Nabi Zaki,
Syed Imtiaz Haider, Muhammad
Yasin Atai and Molvi Bashir Irfani
under house arrest or in custody
to stop them from visiting Sopore
town and leading the rally.
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik
strongly denounced the killing of
innocent Kashmiris in Gaw
Kadal, Handwara, Kupwara and
Sopore massacres and other such
gory incidents. They said that the
Indian military occupation
started its killing machine from
Gaw Kadal when on 21st January
in 1990, the Indian troops opened
their guns on peaceful protesters
and butchered more than 50
innocents within an hour. This
carnage was followed by massa-
cres at Handwara and Kupwara
where hundreds of
Kashmiris were
gunned down by
the Indian Army
a n d p o l i c e
personnel with
impunity, they
said. The leaders
said that during the
last 29 years, the
Indian forces’
personnel had
brutally killed
thousands of
Kashmiris. They
d e m a n d e d
impartial investi-
gation into all incidents of mass
killings so that the involved
troops could be punished. The
leaders also called upon the
international community to play
its role in granting the Kashmiri
people their right to self-
determination.
The All Parties Hurriyat
Conference Azad Jammu and
Kashmir chapter in a meeting in
Islamabad paid glorious tributes
to the victims of massacres in
occupied Kashmir. Expressing
solidarity with the bereaved
families, the participants said that
the blood of Kashmiri martyrs
would not be allowed to go waste
and their mission would be
accomplished at all costs.
FEBRUARY 2018 23
Report

APHC-AJK holds seminar on Kashmir in Islamabad

The All Parties Hurriyat The AJK President said that the Wani, India had unleashed brute
Conference Azad Jammu and UN had acknowledged Jammu force on the Kashmiris and
Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter in and Kashmir as a disputed murdered civilians, maimed
collaboration with the Kashmir territory and the Kashmiris thousands of protesters with
Students Federation of Federal would continue their struggle till pellet guns, disgraced women
Urdu University, Islamabad, held they achieved freedom from and initiated malicious tactics to
a seminar at the varsity on Indian bondage. He said, India change the demography of
January 8, 2018. claims that Kashmir is a forgotten occupied Kashmir. He said that in
The President of Azad Jammu issue, but it is not so. “Everyday the occupied territory there were
and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Kashmiris are sacrificing their two types of terrorism; state
Khan, was the chief guest of the lives and nourishing their terrorism perpetrated by over
seminar titled “Kashmiris’ right freedom struggle with their 700,000 Indian troops and acts of
to self-determination and role of blood. The Indian government terror committed by the activists
students” while the APHC-AJK has tried to demonise the struggle of extremist Hindu organisation,
Convener, Ghulam Muhammad of the innocent Kashmiris as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Safi, presided over the event. It terrorism and is presenting itself (RSS).
was also attended by Senator Raja
Zafar-ul-Haq, Hurriyat leaders
including Syed Faiz Naqshbandi
and Abdul Hameed Lone besides
university faculty and a large
number of students.
Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Leader of the
House in the Senate, in his speech
paid rich tributes to the APHC
Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, and
other resistance leaders for their
contribution and sacrifices for the
Kashmir cause. He said that the
people of Kashmir would not be
left alone in their ongoing
struggle aimed at securing their
inalienable right to self-
determination. He said that
as a victim. Despite brutal The AJK President said that the
Pakistan would continue its
coercion, economic inducements people and leadership of Jammu
diplomatic, moral and political
and political manipulations, India and Kashmir had made a
support to the Kashmiris till the
could not win the hearts and conscious decision to accede to
Kashmir dispute was resolved in
minds of the Kashmiris in the past Pakistan on 19th July 1947 during
accordance with their aspirations.
70 years nor will it ever succeed in a meeting at the residence of
Addressing on the occasion, the
doing so in future,” he added. Sardar Ibrahim Khan, the founder
AJK President, Sardar Masood
Sardar Masood Khan said that President of Azad Kashmir. “It is
Khan, said that the unprece-
India was propagating a false our duty to be the faithful
dented sacrifices rendered by the
narrative by claiming that the custodians of the vision and
Kashmiri people for securing
Kashmir dispute was a bilateral aspirations of our leadership and
their right to self-determination
issue between Pakistan and India. the people of Jammu and Kashmir
would not go waste. He said that
This, he said, is a negation of the by continuing our efforts for a just
voice for the Kashmiris’ inalien-
UN resolutions, which clearly resolution of this issue. We will
able right would be raised at all
state that the Kashmiris have the not compromise on our just right
international forums including
right to a free and impartial to self-determination,” he added.
the United Nations. He said that
plebiscite to exercise their right to Sardar Masood Khan said that
the Kashmiri people must be
self-determination. He said that Indian Army, forces of Dogra
given an opportunity to decide
after the martyrdom of Burhan Maharaja and RSS extremists had
their future by themselves.

FEBRUARY 2018 24
Report
massacred over three hundrded
thousand unarmed Kashmiris
and forced another 500,000 to
migrate from Jammu and
Kashmir in 1947. He said that this
was the first instance of ethnic
genocide after World War II.
The AJK President said, India has
stationed over 700,000 armed
military personnel in occupied
Kashmir which is the largest
concentration of occupational
army in any conflict zone of the
world. India is using brutality and
enticing economic deals to
subdue the Kashmiris’ freedom
struggle but this in no way can
suppress the quest of the
Kashmiri people for freedom
from the Indian occupation, he
added.
Sardar Masood Khan said, in a
recent article, Member of Rajya
Sabha and former Indian Finance
Minister, P Chidambaram, has
acknowledged the Kashmir issue
as “a long-pending dispute of
accession” and slammed the
Modi government’s hard,
muscular and militaristic
approach in occupied Kashmir.
Highlighting the initiatives taken
in AJK, Sardar Masood Khan said,
Azad Kashmir is undergoing a
new phase of economic develop-
ment which would turn the
region into an economic engine.
He said that the AJK Government
was focusing on infrastructure
development, hydropower
generation, education, tourism,
industrial growth, extractive
industry and agriculture. Under
the China Pakistan Economic
Corridor, he said, four exclusive
projects have been identified for
AJK which include the Karot
Hydro Power Project, Kohala
Hydro Power Project, Mansehra-
Mirpur Expressway and a state-
of-the-art Industrial Zone in
Mirpur.
The AJK President said that the
people of Pakistan and AJK
would not fall prey to the Indian
propaganda aimed at creating
disunity among their ranks. By
the grace of Almighty Allah, all
our political parties are unified on
the Kashmir dispute and stand
shoulder to shoulder with the
people of Kashmir, he added. He
said, father of the nation, Quaid-e-
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
had rightly called Kashmir as the
jugular vein of Pakistan as all our
rivers flow through Kashmir, the
destinies of our people are
intertwined and now CPEC also
passes through Gilgit-Baltistan
and AJK. “Today due its illegal
occupation over Jammu and
Kashmir, India claims to be the
upper riparian state and threatens
to ‘dry up’ Pakistan by diverting
the rivers flowing into Pakistan
from Kashmir. We will not allow
that to happen,” he said.
Sardar Masood Khan maintained
that in today’s world the youth
are global citizens who have
access to social media platforms
and can positively project the
Kashmir cause to their peers and
the global civil society.
Hurriyat leaders, Syed Faiz
Naqshbandi and Abdul Hameed
Lone, in their addresses high-
lighted the gross human rights
violations being perpetrated by
the Indian troops in occupied
Kashmir and appealed to the
world human rights organisa-
tions and international commu-
nity to take notice of the Indian
state terrorism in the occupied
FEBRUARY 2018 25
Report
AI launches drive, online petition for ban on pellet guns in IOK
International human rights
watchdog, Amnesty
International, on January 16,
2018 launched a postcard
campaign and an online petition
to press for ban on the use of
pellet guns against protesters in
occupied Kashmir.
The drive is meant to put
pressure on India to conduct an
independent investigation into
cases of killings and serious
injuries caused by the pellets and
bring the people from across
occupied Kashmir to write
postcards to the puppet Chief
Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. The
Amnesty International will
submit signed postcards and
petition to Mehbooba Mufti.
The Amnesty International India
chapter in a statement said that
the pellet-firing pump-action
shotguns had been responsible
for killing, blinding and injuring
of thousands of people in
occupied Kashmir.
Aakar Patel, Executive Director,
Amnesty International India,
said that it was shameful that the
serious concerns raised repeat-
edly regarding the use of pellet-
firing guns had failed to receive
sufficient attention from the
government.
“The use of pellet shotguns was
inherently inaccurate and
indiscriminate. These so-called
‘non-lethal’ weapons have killed
at least 14 people since July 2016.
Thousands more have suffered
extensive and debilitating
physical and psychological
harm. It is unconscionable for
authorities to continue using
pellet-firing shotguns despite
being aware of the damage they
cause,” he added.
The Indian troops and police
personnel have indiscriminately
and extensively used the pellet
guns on peaceful protesters in
occupied Kashmir during the
ongoing mass uprising triggered
by the extrajudicial killing of
popular youth leader, Burhan
Muzaffar Wani, on July 8, 2016.
Zahoor Wani, Campaigner
Amnesty International, India,
said, “Through this campaign,
we want to send a message that
the people of Kashmir want an
immediate end to the use of
pellet-firing shotguns. The
voices of the victims and those
who stand in solidarity with
them must be heard.”
The puppet administration
recently admitted in the so-called
Kashmir Assembly that 6,221
people had received pellet
injuries, including 782 eye
injuries, between July 2016 and
February 2017. However, the
human rights groups say the
number of people injured by the
pellets is much higher than the
figure admitted by the puppet
regime.
In September 2017, the Amnesty
International, India, released a
briefing, “Losing Sight in
Kashmir: The Impact of Pellet-
Firing Shotguns”, which docu-
mented the cases of pellet
victims. The briefing stated that
the troops have been using metal
pellet-firing shotguns for crowd
control in occupied Kashmir
since at least 2010. “When pellet
shotguns are fired, a large
number of small metal pellets
spread indiscriminately over a
wide area. There is no way to
control the accuracy, trajectory or
direction of the pellets. Due to
their inherently inaccurate and
indiscriminate nature, the
weapons have a high risk of
causing serious and permanent
injury to everyone in the area,” it
added.
The Amnesty International said,
the use of pellet shotguns in
occupied Kashmir violates
international standards on the
use of force. The UN Code of
Conduct for Law Enforcement
Officials states that law enforce-
ment officials may use force
“only when strictly necessary
and to the extent required for the
performance of their duty.” The
UN Basic Principles on the Use of
Force and Firearms state that
force should only be used when
“unavoidable”, and law enforce-
ment officials should “exercise
restraint” in using force and
“minimise damage and injury.”
FEBRUARY 2018 26
Chronology

has always been a source of

A chronological account of inspiration for the Kashmiris.

developments on Kashmir (138) Syed Ali Gilani and other

Hurriyat leaders and
KMS Research Desk organisations also hail the people
of Pakistan for showing
2014 New Delhi's Tihar Jail. The letter solidarity with their Kashmiri
is circulated in these countries brethren and thank the National
February 04: The Chairman of
through emails by Huma Dar, a Assembly of Pakistan for
All Parties Hurriyat Conference,
California-based Kashmiri unanimously passing a
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
academician, Muhammad resolution, supporting the
deploring the world's apathy
Junaid and Ather Zia, both Kashmiris' struggle for securing
towards the sufferings of the
anthropology scholars in the US. their inalienable right.
people of occupied Kashmir says
that peace will continue to elude February 05: The APHC In Jeddah, renowned writer and
South Asia until the Kashmir Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar former Saudi diplomat, Dr Ali
dispute is settled in accordance Farooq, the veteran Hurriyat Al-Ghamdi, at a symposium on
with the Kashmiris' aspirations. leader, Syed Ali Gilani and other 'Kashmir and the obligation of
Addressing over phone from liberation leaders express Muslim World' urges the
New Delhi a seminar organised gratitude to the people and Organisation of Islamic
by the Nazaria Pakistan Council Government of Pakistan for Cooperation (OIC) to seriously
in Islamabad, he says that the UN
and international community are
following a policy of double
standard vis-à-vis the Kashmir
dispute and cites prompt action
by the World Body on the issues
of East Timor and southern
Sudan. The Mirwaiz thanks the
government, people and political
parties of Pakistan for observing
the 5th February, every year, as
the day of solidarity with the
Kashmiris, who are engaged in a
peaceful struggle to secure their
right to self-determination.
A week ahead of the first
anniversary of the execution of observing the Kashmir Solidarity strive to resolve the long-
Kashmiri youth, Muhammad Day to show unity with the pending Kashmir dispute. The
Afzal Guru, many civil society Kashmiri people engaged in a symposium is organised by
members from across the globe just struggle to secure their right Pakistan Repatriation Council as
including the US, Canada, to self-determination. part of the Kashmir Solidarity
Switzerland, Palestine, Pakistan Mirwaiz Umar Farooq during a Day.
and the UK sign a letter seeking meeting with the Pakistani February 06: Speakers at a
support for release of the illegally Deputy High Commissioner to seminar held in Srinagar in
detained Kashmiri political India, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, in connection with the martyrdom
prisoners and return of the New Delhi, maintains that anniversaries of Kashmiri
mortal remains of Muhammad Pakistan's unflinching support to liberation leaders, Muhammad
Maqbool Butt and Muhammad the Kashmir cause on moral, Maqbool Butt and Muhammad
Afzal Guru to their families from political and diplomatic levels Afzal Guru, reiterate the

FEBRUARY 2018 27
Chronology
Kashmiris’ resolve to continue
their freedom struggle till the
accomplishment of the martyrs’
mission. Hurriyat leaders,
Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem
Ahmed Khan, columnists
Hassan Zainagiri, Dr Javaid
Iqbal, Abdul Majeed Zargar, Dr
Sheikh Shoukat Hussain and
martyred Muhammad Afzal
Guru’s son, Ghalib Afzal,
address the function. They urge
the world human rights
organisations to take notice of the
continued worst kind of rights
abuses by the Indian troops in the
Different programmes including Asia.
territory. Kashmir Affairs
seminars, roundtables and February 07: In occupied
Minister, Barjees Tahir; AJK
demonstrations are held by Kashmir, the puppet authorities
President, Sardar Muhammad
various Kashmiri organisations launch a massive crackdown
Yaqoob Khan; Prime Minister,
as part of the Kashmir Solidarity against Hurriyat leaders and
Chaudhry Abdul Majeed; and
Day in different cities of the activists to prevent conducting of
former AJK Prime Minster,
United Kingdom to express various programmes in
Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan;
solidarity with the people of connection with the martyrdom
address the seminar over phone
occupied Kashmir. anniversaries of prominent
from Azad Kashmir while
Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo In Washington, the Executive liberation leaders, Muhammad
speaks to the audience from Director of Kashmiri-American Maqbool Butt and Muhammad
London. Later, at the end of the Council, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Afzal Guru. The authorities
seminar, Indian police arrest expressing solidarity with the arrest Hurriyat leaders including
Hurriyat leaders, Shabbir people of occupied Kashmir Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem
Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed stresses the need for granting the Ahmed Khan, Mushtaq-ul-
Khan, Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Kashmiris their inalienable right Islam, Zafar Akbar Butt, Shabbir
Farooq Ahmed Dar, Mushtaq-ul- to self-determination to resolve Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Yousuf
Islam and Muhammad Yousuf the decades-old dispute and to Naqash, Muhammad Ahsan
Naqash. ensure durable peace in South Untoo and Muhammad Shafi
Reshi while Muhammad Ashraf
Sehrai and Altaf Ahmed Shah are
placed under house arrest in
Srinagar. Indian police also
arrest the Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front leaders, Bashir
Ahmed Butt, Showkat Ahmed
Bakhshi, Sheikh Khalid and
more than one hundred party
activists. The police also raid the
residence of the JKLF Chairman,
Muhammad Yasin Malik, and
harass the inmates.

Compiled by: Showkat Ali

To be continued...
FEBRUARY 2018 28
Beauty Thy Name is

ipal councilor.
History

FEBRUARY 2018 29
Literature
The burglar with soft heart
Pandit was well known in the
gentry of the area. He belonged
to an ancient family of repute
who claimed many ‘ars’ in their
lineage - kardars, chakaldars,
tehsildars and what not. Of
course, he himself was a promi-
nent zamindar (landlord)
owning many khirwars of
paddy land. He was naturally
referred to respectfully as "the
Pandit," or "Pandit Saheb"
among those associated with
him in different capacities. The
Pandit did not hold any public
appointment at the time to
which this narrative refers. In
fact he had been waiting for
several years for the chance of
securing such an appointment
through the good offices of his
friends. He had been deprived
of an important position by the
previous governor not because
he had in any way failed to
discharge his duties and
obligations properly but
because one of his cousins had
out of envy and malice hatched a
plot against the Pandit and he
was cashiered out, much to his
chagrin. His financial position
was by no means enviable in
spite of what his cousins said -
that he had enriched himself
with the wealth of Kuvera
during the tenure of his office.
Land was the only source of his
income now and agricultural
produce was worth little in the
market. After having lost the
official patronage the Pandit did
not reduce the lavish expendi-
ture of his household. He felt
that it would go against the
traditions of his family estab-
lished by his illustrious forefa-
A Kashmiri folklore
thers. However, this scale of
expenditure was in no way
compatible with his present
means and the Pandit was not a
little worried on this account.
In the wake of all these troubles
came one day the astounding
discovery that one of his
servants in whom he reposed
considerable trust had forsaken
him and taken service with the
person he dreaded most i.e. his
cousin. Along with the servant
went all the domestic secrets
naturally and this was the worst
of it. The domestic had broad-
cast that he no longer wanted to
burden a man moving about on
his crutches. This was, therefore,
the reason why the wedding of
his daughter could not be
postponed further. One night
along with his wife he was
ransacking the secret chambers
holding their valuables when
she fell down with a shriek,
somebody had stolen into these
chambers and made away with
many valuable ornaments. The
Pandit, therefore, went over the
accounts of income and expen-
diture for the last several years
and cursed his negligence that
had enabled the servant above
referred to and possibly his
accomplices too, to defraud him
systematically. His efforts to
have the servant brought to
book resulted in his receiving
threats from the ungrateful
wretch, threats of dire conse-
quences. As the servant was
guided by his cousin, and the
latter never lost a chance in
trying to do him down, the
Pandit considered it expedient
not to press the matter further
for the time being.
The cousin was not satisfied
with the success of his plans in
bringing about the downfall of
the Pandit. Nothing would give
him (the cousin) greater plea-
sure than to raze him to the
ground completely. He gladly
accepted the suggestion of the
erstwhile servant of the Pandit
that a clever burglar be egged on
to subject the house of the
enemy to his depredations, and
their choice fell on Layuq, the
captain of thieves. Armed with
the directions about the interior
of the house, the underground
cellars and the types of locks
used, Layuq set about his task
with circumspection and
thoroughness for which he was
known and dreaded.
One night when the Pandit
repaired as usual to his bedroom
for repose his wife expressed her
anxiety, on the postponement of
their daughter's wedding. The
Pandit was usually a man of
fortitude and forbearance and
would not worry his wife with
their deteriorating financial
condition. On this occasion,
however, he felt that he should
reveal the real position to her
and gave her an account of the
various machinations of his
enemies chief among whom was
his cousin, who brought about
his ruin.
He described to her in detail
their financial situation particu-
larly the debauchery of his
servant who robbed them of
precious valuables and left
them. When the wife exclaimed
as why she was kept in dark
about the entire scenario, the
FEBRUARY 2018 30
Literature
Pandit said: "That, dear, is
exactly what I don't propose to
do. We have fallen on very bad
times, but we have still some
credit in the country, which I
don't want to strain further. In
fact it is very painful for me to
keep up the presence of living
according to the traditions of my
illustrious ancestors. But the
moment it is known outside how
miserable we are; there will be
no end to difficulties and
troubles for us. Those who speak
to us respectfully will assume
insulting attitudes, and those
who sue the hand of our
daughter in marriage will spurn
it if and when offered. The
governor, who seems to be
favourably inclined towards me
and to whom I am looking for
gainful patronage will dismiss
such an idea from his mind.
Above all, our cousin will make
merry to see us exposed thus.
Therefore, dear lady, it is not
feasible to dispose of any of our
scanty valuables to meet our
expenses and thus strike at the
roots of the prestige and credit
that we still enjoy.... "
On this occasion, however, she
broke down and wept bitterly
and cursed her stars that by a
hostile concatenation had
conspired to ruin them just on
the eve of the wedding of their
daughter. Her lord tried to
console her but the proximity of
his wife had a softening influ-
ence over him; his emotions ran
riot inside him and considering
himself sheltered from prying
eyes, he also broke down.
But they were not alone actually.
Adjacent to their bedroom was
the store room where they kept
their valuables, and the insid-
ious Layuq was already lodged
there, egged on by the agents of
t h e
Pandit's
cousin.
He knew
t h e
Pandit
for a man
o f
c o n s i d-
erable
strength
of mind.
He had
b e e n
given
exagger-
a t e d
accounts
of his
wealth
by the
agents of
h i s
cousin
and in
his view
all was
grist that
came to his mill. But he was the What actually took place was in
unobserved spectator of a scene, astounding contrast to his
which none else would have the expectation. The next morning
opportunity of knowing at first he found that all his chests were
hand and he could see that it was rifled and that his house was
not dressed up for his sake. He despoiled of the valuables. They
regretted that he should have could not easily compute the
undertaken the adventure on the extent of the loss suffered.
wrong and misleading advice of The same morning the Pandit
malicious persons. He waited found in his bedroom a small
for some time till the lord and compact bag which he had never
lady of the house were fast seen before. He examined its
asleep, and slinked away as contents in the presence of his
quietly and mysteriously as he
wife and they were surprised to
had entered. The cousin of the
find in it valuables worth
Pandit expected to add another
thousands. Along with it was a
feather to his glory by having his
house swept clean of valuables sort of a cipher code, which was
and other ancestral property. not easily intelligible.
Though the thing had not When deciphered the message
happened, he expected the good read, “Layuq is not a mere
news to come the next morning. burglar. He has a heart!”
FEBRUARY 2018 31
Feedback
Kashmiris' genocide
India has been
committing genocide
of the Kashmiris for
the past over seven
decades in a planned
manner. It is
muzzling the voice of
the Kashmiri people
through its military
might. Killing of
innocent people,
c u s t o d i a l
disappearances,
extrajudicial murders, rape of
women and destruction of the
property by the Indian troops and
police personnel is a routine
matter in occupied Kashmir.
Indian forces' personnel are
perpetrating the worst kinds of
human rights violations - in fact
crimes against humanity - with
impunity due to the unbridled
powers given to them under
draconian laws like Armed Forces
Special Powers Act and Disturbed
Areas Act.
The massacres of Gaw Kadal,
Kupwara, Handwara and Sopore
are the glaring examples of the
genocidal actions of the Indian
forces in occupied Kashmir.
Every year, the people of these
areas observe complete
shutdown on the anniversaries of
these mass killings occurred in
January 1990s and demand justice
for the victims besides renewing
their resolve to carry on the
ongoing liberation movement. It
is unfortunate that not a single
soldier involved in these brutal
incidents has been punished so
far despite the passage of several
years.
The world community must
conduct a probe into all massacres
carried out by the Indian troops in
the occupied territory to bring the
perpetrators to book. It must also
take steps towards resolving the
Kashmir dispute to save the
Kashmiris from the Indian
brutalities.
Showkat Ali
Srinagar
Black Day
The observance of India's
Republic Day as Black Day by the
Kashmiris should be understood
in its historical perspective. New
Delhi has been resorting to the
worst kind of state terrorism to
continue its illegal hold on Jammu
and Kashmir and to force the
Kashmiri people into
subjugation. However, it has
failed to succeed in its nefarious
designs despite killing hundreds
of thousands of innocent
Kashmiris and subjecting
thousands to custodial
disappearance.
Kashmiris on the Black Day every
year reiterate their resolve to
continue their struggle till the
attainment of their cherished goal
of freedom from the Indian
bondage. New Delhi should
acknowledge the fact that it
cannot subdue the liberation
sentiment of the Kashmiris who
want to exercise their right to self-
determination. The world
community particularly the UN
must play an effective role in
resolving the longstanding
dispute over Kashmir on durable
basis for peace and prosperity in
the region.
Muhammad Qasim
Gujranwala
Remembering martyrs
Dear editor, the incumbent
puppet regime has beaten all
KASHMIR INSIGHT
previous records of
atrocities by putting
the Indian Army,
p o l i c e a n d
paramilitary
personnel on roads to
beat and kill the
people of occupied
Kashmir with
impunity. The
participation of
thousands of people
in the funeral prayers
of the youth martyred
by the Indian troops should serve
as an eye-opener for India and its
stooges in the territory and they
must understand that they cannot
intimidate the Kashmiris into
submission as they are
determined to take their ongoing
liberation struggle to its logical
conclusion at all costs.
Sohail Raja
Rawalpindi
Kashmir Solidarity Day
Dear editor, Pakistan has been
continuing its diplomatic, moral
and political support to the
people of Jammu and Kashmir in
their just struggle for securing
their right to self-determination
for the past over seven decades.
Pakistanis, at home and abroad,
observe the Kashmir Solidarity
Day on February 5, every year, to
reiterate their commitment to the
Kashmir cause. The observance is
aimed at assuring the Kashmiris
that they are not alone in their just
struggle and the people and
government of Pakistan would
keep on supporting them till the
resolution of the Kashmir dispute
in accordance with their
aspirations. The world
community also needs to show its
solidarity with the Kashmiri
people to help them in securing
their right to self-determination
promised to them by the UN
through its several resolutions.
Chaudhry Ali Akbar
Lahore
FEBRUARY 2018 32
 Atrocities by Indian troops
(January 1989 to January 31, 2018)

Total killings 94,906

Custodial killings 7,099

Civilians arrested 143,185

Structures destroyed/damaged 108,658

Women widowed 22,864

Children orphaned 107,686

Women gangraped/molested 11,042

Including custodial killings

Source: Kashmir Media Service (www.kmsnews.org)

 Do you remember these words!

“We do not seek to go behind the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan
(UNCIP) resolutions, or to ignore the vital elements of principle contained in them .…
We have always adhered to the UNCIP resolutions …. We cannot be a party to the
reversal of previous decisions taken by the United Nations Commission with the
agreement of the parties."

(India’s Permanent Representative in the UN,

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, in a statement at the
Security Council, December 8, 1952)

All Parties Hurriyet Conference Azad Jammu And Kashmir

P. O. Box No. 2617, GPO Islamabad.
Ph: 0092-51-4861457, Fax: 0092-51-4861458 (Islamabad)
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Email: kashmirinsight@yahoo.com