Kashmir toll rises to 27 in five days-03/08/2010

03/08/2010

Kashmir toll rises to 27 in five days

Srinagar/New Delhi: A 16-year-old was killed in police firing in Srinagar - the fifth to die Tuesday - as protesters across the old city defied the curfew to take to the streets. This takes to 27 the toll in the last five days of unending violence in the Kashmir Valley.



Women chant anti-government slogans during the funeral procession of a youth killed by security forces in Srinagar on Tuesday. Thousands of protesters held rallies and threw stones at police in defiance of the region's chief minister who has pleaded for recent deadly violence to end. AFP

A farmer was injured when he was allegedly shot at by the security forces in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, while two protesters were injured when police fired on a mob defying the curfew in central Badgam district.

Anees Ahmad was killed when security forces fired at a mob in Srinagar's Eidgah area. "Anees Ahmad was killed when mobs defied curfew in Eidgah area and the security forces fired to bring the situation under control," a senior police officer said here.

A huge procession of mourners marched towards the martyrs' graveyard in Eidgah area carrying Ahmad's body. In order to avoid further clashes, the authorities removed security forces from the route.

Earlier, Mehraj-ud-Din, 23, was killed in clashes between curfew-defying mobs and the security forces in Barthana area of the city. A farmer, identified as Muhammad Akbar, 45, was allegedly shot at and critically wounded by the security forces in Rangwar village in Baramulla.



Muslims carry the body of a youth during a procession after he was killed by security forces in Srinagar. Forty people have died in weeks of unrest — most of them killed by security forces trying to disperse angry protests against Indian rule. Each death has triggered further violent demonstrations and security crackdowns. AFP

Residents alleged that Akbar was working in his paddy field when security forces passing through the village fired at him. Akbar has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment. A mob defied the curfew in the Sheikhpora area of Badgam, 14 km from here, prompting security forces to open fire.

"Despite repeated announcements and warnings that nobody should take to the streets since curfew continued in the area, unruly mobs came out in Sheikhpora area, hurling rocks and stones at the security forces.

"In the resultant firing, two protesters were injured and immediately moved to the hospital where doctors said they were out of danger. They suffered leg injuries," the police officer said.

Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had called for a peaceful rally Tuesday from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura where he is admitted, to the martyrs' graveyard in the old city. Authorities, however, declined permission.



Geelani Monday said he would lead the rally himself and assured the authorities that the rally would be peaceful. However, authorities continued with curfew restrictions in the Srinagar city and all other major towns of the Valley.

Geelani told a local news agency that he had assured the authorities that no violence would occur during his proposed rally.

"They did not allow the rally. It appears some agencies are after me and I fear I might be arrested again. I have, therefore, authorized Masrat Alam (an underground leader of Geelani's Hurriyat group) to continue the Quit Kashmir campaign and issue resistance programmes which have received wide public support in the Valley," the news agency quoted Geelani as saying.



Policemen guard beside barbed wires near a temporary check point during a curfew in Srinagar. AP

In Srinagar, roads were completely deserted as shops, educational institutions, banks, post offices and other businesses remained closed and the only vehicles seen were those of the security forces.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a meeting of the unified command in Srinagar late Monday evening, after returning from meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram in New Delhi.

Sources said the security forces have been instructed to firmly tackle violence in the Valley, but at the same time ensure that firearms are not used unless all other preventive measures are exhausted.




Kashmiris wash blood stains on a road immediately after police opened fire on protesters in Srinagar. AP

UN chief's office denies Kashmir remark; e-mail unauthorised?

The role of the Pakistani-origin spokesperson of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has come under scanner with the denial of the UN chief's controversial remarks on Kashmir by his office.

Spokesperson Farhan Haq e-mailed a statement to journalists at the UN headquarters in New York last week stating that Ban "is concerned over the prevailing security situation" in "Indian-administered Kashmir". This was a reference to the turmoil in the Kashmir valley in which a number of lives have been lost.

Haq went on to say that the Secretary General called on "all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and address problems peacefully."

Concerned over the gratuitous remarks, which were seen as a departure from diplomatic norms, India took up the matter through its mission to the UN.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement here today that Ban's office has clarified that no question about Kashmir was raised at any press conference "nor was any such comment made by the UN Secretary General."



Kashmiris carry an injured person immediately after Indian police opened fire on protesters in Srinagar. AP

This denial also applies to another part of Haq's statement which talked about Secretary-General's backing the resumption of composite dialogue between Indian and Pakistan which New Delhi does not favour unless Islamabad addresses the issue of terrorism.

The denial flies in the face of Haq's statement which said, "He (Ban) encourages both sides to rekindle the spirit of composite dialogue which was initiated in 2004 and had made encouraging progress on some important confidence building measures, and to make renewed efforts to address outstanding issues, including on Jammu and Kashmir."

Diplomatic observers here were of the view that either Haq had issued an unauthorised statement or Moon's office was backtracking in the face of Indian reaction.

Source: Agencies