Srinagar
Aug 28, 2006:
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front will go for a day-long hunger strike and court arrests in all major townships of Valley next week to protest the alleged
human rights violations by Indian troops, JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik said here today.
Malik who returned after a three month stay in United States last week said there has been "an unprecedented escalation in human rights excesses committed by Indian troops in Kashmir even after the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a promise of zero tolerance to abuses on May 25 in Srinagar".
Malik said the JKLF activists will sit on a day long hunger strike on September 7, and will court arrests in all major townships of Valley on September 9 to protest the alleged escalation in human rights abuses by Indian troops.
Malik also appealed students and intellectuals to join them in the protests.
"I have decided to go for hunger strike on September 7 and we extend an open invitation to all intellectuals and students to participate in this. I expect them to be there with us. On September 9, we will offer arrests in all the major towns of Kashmir like Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, Handwara, Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian," Malik said.
Although Malik threatened harsh steps in future if "rights abuses" were not stopped, he however, hoped that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will translate his promise of zero tolerance into reality on ground.
Talking to reporters Malik also brushed off reports of Al Qaeda presence in Kashmir as hearsay and said he will 'not like the presence of Al Qaeda in Kashmir'.
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