By Agence India Press,
Srinagar: All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while strongly condemning the custodial killing of a Sopore youth, Nazim Rashid, has supported the Wednesday strike call given by hardline Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a press conference at his residence in Srinagar, where he is under house arrest, today, asked the people of Kashmir to make the strike a complete success. He also appealed the international human rights organisations including Amnesty International and Asia Watch to exert pressure on India to stop the continued human rights violations in Kashmir.
Mirwaiz threatened violent protests if the state government did not remove restrictions imposed on the movement of separatist leadership in Kashmir Valley.
“We warn government to remove these restrictions and let Hurriyat have the right to say its point of view to the people. If government continues to place restrictions, then we will be forced to chart out such a programme which can turn violent,” Mirwaiz said.
He said if the leadership is placed under house arrest, then the issue will be taken by the people.
“So far, we have told people to protest peacefully but if restrictions are placed on us to impede our religious rights, then as Mirwaiz of Kashmir I will have to call the people to come out to defend their religion,” he said.
Several separatist leaders have been placed under house arrest by the government since Nazim Rashid, son of a retired police inspector, died in the police custody after a day he was picked up by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police on July 30 evening. His death triggered protest in the many district and also evoked massive condemnation from all mainstream and separatists organizations.