Lashkar-e-Toyiba (LeT) chief Mehmood Shah has asked people to observe the Republic Day of India as “black day”, saying New Delhi has jeopardised the freedom of Kashmiris for the last seven decades.
LeT spokesperson Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi in a statement issued to GNS quoted outfit chief as saying that “more than 5 lakh innocent Kashmiris have been martyred since Indian forces illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir”.
“The honour of thousands of mothers and daughters of the nation has been violated, thousands of young Kashmiris have been crippled for life; Hurriyat leaders are often harassed, arrested and even martyred so as to sabotage the indigenous freedom struggle,” Ghaznavi quoted Shah as saying.
He added, “India is plotting new vicious plans on the advent of the Republic Day (Black Day). Those committed to the freedom struggle are being threatened and some youth are forced on gunpoint to speak in favour of India on the Day in Srinagar. We are well aware of such plots.”
Lashkar said “martyrs are our mentors and we will never let anyone hurt their heirs”.
Shah appealed to world humanitarian organisations to take notice of India's “severe human rights violations and atrocities” in Jammu Kashmir.