Hanging of Guru, Butt was murder of justice, says JRL
Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) Friday said that hanging of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru is like a black page of international judicial history.
“A human being was secretly put to gallows on petty pretext of satisfying collective conscience of people, without giving him a last chance to meet his family and handing over his corpse to his family for last rites. Same cruelty and criminal treatment was also given to great resistance leader Muhammad Maqbool Butt in 1984 when he was also hanged in similar haste, without giving him a last chance to meet his family and even burying him inside Tihar jail,” JRL comprising of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said in a joint statement.
They said that clamping curfew and restrictions and even banning Friday prayers especially at Jamia Masjid, unleashing reign of terror, spree of arrests, nocturnal raids and other oppressive measures have become a most desired practice of the biggest democracy.
“Kashmir has actually been turned Kashmir into a big concentration camp,” the JRL said.
Earlier on the directions of JRL, JKLF leaders and activists despite heavy restrictions gathered at Abi Guzar and staged a protest demanding the return back of the mortal remains of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru.
Condemning the ongoing oppression unleashed by the rulers and their police against JRL leaders, activists and common people, JRL has said that the repression unleashed by police, forces and agencies for stopping peaceful protest on the martyrdom days of ideologue Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru are a glaring example of Jammu Kashmir being a police state where dictatorship is prevailing under the garb of the democracy.
Condemning the continued house detention of leaders Syed Ali shah Geelani and Mirwaiz doctor Muhammad Umar Farooq and incarceration of Muhammad Yasin Malik who is languishing at central jail Srinagar from 6th February 2018, they said that “a reign of terror has been unleashed throughout Kashmir valley for stopping JRL programs on 9th and 11th February. Arrests, house arrests, raids on the residences on various leaders and activists and barring people from Friday prayers especially at Jamia Masjid Srinagar for third consecutive Friday are glaring evidence of this dictatorship which actually is prevailing in Jammu Kashmir.”
The protesters said that in Kashmir mourning and celebrations are banned by military might, jails, police stations and torture centers are filled with peaceful political activists, leaders are arrested or house arrested to bar them from political programs and leading Masajid like Jamia masjid Srinagar are locked and banned for prayers and despite all these dictatorial measures, the rulers called themselves democrats which is actually making mockery of democracy.
They condemned the arrests and house arrests of various JRL leaders and activists including Muhammad Ashraf Sehraie, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, Ghulam Muhammad Dar, Bilal Ahmad Sideequi, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Rafiq Ahmad Waar, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Umar Adil Dar, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Syed Imtiyaz Haider, Muhammad Yaseen Aatie, Muhammad Yousuf Butt, Bashir Ahmad Chopan, Sajad Ahmad Pala and others.
JRL also condemned the nocturnal and day time raids on the houses of many more leaders and activists.
JRL said that “the sacrifices rendered by great Kashmiri martyrs like ideologue Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru are like a precious treasure for Kashmiris and no stone will be left unturned for achieving the sacred goal set out by these great martyrs.”
Hailing people of Kashmir for their overwhelming support to JRL protest programs, JRL reiterated the call for a complete shut down on Youm I Maqbool, Sunday 11th February 2018 and said that besides a complete shutdown , JRL leaders and activists alongside people from all walks of life will gather at Lal Chowk and march towards UN observers office Sonwar where a memorandum to UN secretary General seeking the return back of the mortal remains of Martyrs Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru will be handed over to UN officials.
Meanwhile, the statement said that a memorandum by JRL was today read out and unanimously adopted by people at various Masajid and other religious places on the eve of Friday prayers. Some of the salient clauses of this memorandum are as follows:
The memorandum reads, “this gathering demands for the return back of the mortal remains of foremost resistance leader of Kashmiris Muhammad Maqbool Butt and great warrior Muhammad Afzal Guru who are buried at Tihar jail Delhi and stresses upon international human rights organizations to play their role in bringing home these mortal remains.”
It adds that “this gathering reiterates that the sacrifices rendered by Kashmiris are unforgettable and the cause for which great martyrs including Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afazl Guru laid down their lives, will continue at every cost, till the achievement of the sacred goal.”
KV Correspondent
