Srinagar April 12 (KNO) : Strongly condemning the ED notice to daughters of jailed pro-freedom leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, arresting of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik by NIA and shifting him to Tihar jail, repeated quizzing of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and shifting of Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious leaders outside the state, chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani Friday said that rulers are using their investigative agencies as a war weapon to strangulate the people in general and pro-freedom workers and leaders in particular.
He said that Shah has spent most of his life in jails and today also he is lodged in the Tihar jail for the last two years. “He is in their custody to answer any question and issuing notices to his minor daughters is not only undemocratic, immoral but shameful as well,” Geelani said.
Reacting to the JKLF chief’s arrest by NIA and shifting him to Tihar jail, Geelani said that “pro-freedom leaders and workers are not alien to these jails and interrogations. Putting them behind bars on decade’s old fabricated cases is nothing but to pressurize them to subjugation which is never going to happen.”
He said that “when solitary confinement, physical torture and psychological harassment for decades together have not dented the resolve of our leaders, how can our oppressor expect us to cow down by using these means and ridiculous measures of suppression.”
“Continued quizzing of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for four consecutive days is nothing but to threaten the leadership to stay away from the genuine demands of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but as said earlier, these muscular tactics are sure to strengthen our resolve more than earlier,” Geelani said.
He said that shifting of Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious leaders to outside jails, is condemnable and the rulers who always claim to uphold the democratic values of their constitution are themselves responsible to tarnish every fabric of it. “Courts have categorically opposed the shifting of prisoners away from their homes, but biased and arrogant rulers don’t even care about their own judicial commands,” Geelani said.
Geelani said that on the one hand notorious killers, designated criminals and communal goons are roaming freely by the encouragement and support of Saffron brigade, but those serving the ailing humanity, helping the orphans, supporting the poorest of poor and stand against the social evils, are made to suffer in the name of hyper nationalism and “fighting terrorism”.
Repeating the appeal for complete boycott of the election dramas, Geelani said that people who are suppressed, caged, brutalized and maimed on one or the other pretext have no moral and ethical right to be part of any military drama being conducted in the name of elections.
He said that “nation can achieve their goal only being unanimous and committed to their collective movement of their aspirations and non-seriousness will prolong our goal, which in no way, we can afford.”
Meanwhile, Geelani expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the killing of youth Owais Ahmad Mir by forces at Mandigam Kupwara and injuries to hundreds at various places in Baramulla on Thursday and said that “it is a well thought out plan of genocide and authorities resorted to indiscriminate firing to make this election drama a success.”
“As bullets and pellets rain on us and our youth are killed for sport, no amount of condemnation of the state policy of eliminating Kashmiris is going to change their attitude. We are under forcible control and should expect no humanity from the rulers, local collaborators for aiding and abetting our genocide,” he said.
Appealing to international community to take cognizance of the war like situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, Geelani said that their continuous silence and turning eyes from these grave violations is rather disheartening. “Their tall claims about safeguarding people’s rights prove futile, as no practicable steps are being taken to stop these gross human rights violations,” he said.
“In this hour of grief, we pay our salute and pray for his heavenly aboard,” said pro-freedom leader and extended his condolences with grieved families and prayed for their persistence and for the departed soul.(KNO)