101 Kashmiris martyred amid unabated atrocities
#KashmirBloodshed2024
Srinagar: Indian troops continued their relentless state terrorism and extrajudicial killings throughout 2024, martyring 101 innocent Kashmiris, including three young boys, in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a report, 50 of these martyrs were killed in fake encounters or in custody.
The report further reveals that six non-Muslim were killed by Indian occupation forces; one by the Border Security Force (BSF) in firing and five in police custody, and a woman was killed by Indian army’s mortar fire in Jammu, Reasi and Samba districts respectively.
These killings, the report said, rendered 8 women widowed and 24 children orphaned. Additionally, two women were sexually assaulted by Indian troops. The report also documents the destruction of 12 residential houses and structures by Indian forces. The report furher noted that 67 people were injured due to the use of brute force on protesters in 2024.
Mass arrests and crackdowns
Moreover, 3,492 people, including Hurriyat leaders, human rights activists, students, lawyers and women, were arrested in house raids and crackdowns. Some of them are Hurriyet leader Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Dr Hameed Fayaz, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Amin Rather, former Kashmir Bar president Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, Advocate Nazir Ahmed Roonga, Adv Muhammad Ashraf Butt and Adv Muzaffar Qayoom. Many of these detainees were held under draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) during the year.
Political detentions in Tihar jailThe report further highlights that over 5,000 people, including APHC chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sofi, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, human rights defender Khurram Parvaiz and journalist Irfan Majeed, continue to be held in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail under false charges.
Other political prisoners, including Hurriyet leaders, Bilal Siddiqi, Maulvi Bashir Ahmed, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Ameer Hamza, Abdul Ahad Parra, Zaffar Akbar Butt ,Fayaz Hussain Jaferi, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Dr Shafi Shariyati, Showkat Hakeem, Assadullah Parrey, Merajuddin Nanda, Hayat Ahmad Butt, Umar Adil Dar, Zahoor Ahmed Butt, Noor Muhammad Fayaz, Adil Siraj Zargar, Dawood Zargar, Saleem Nanaji, Muhammad Yasin Butt, journalist Majid Hyderi, remain in different jails of IIOJK and India under the black laws, PSA and UAPA.
Restrictions on religious gatherings
The Kashmiris have also faced ongoing restrictions on religious gatherings, with occupation authorities preventing prayers on significant occasions like Jumat-ul-Wida, Shab-e-Qadar, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, and other daily prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid and Eid Gah.
