Srinagar, Aug 6: A youth was critically injured when police opened fire to disperse a peaceful protest demonstration at Sopur in north Kashmir on Friday even as massive pro-freedom demonstrations rocked the entire valley. The demonstrations today spilled over across Pir Panchal as people in Doda, Rajouri and Poonch held protests as a mark of solidarity with the Valley which has seen killing of 49 unarmed protesters by police and CRPF troops since June 11.
Eyewitnesses said Ramiz Ahmed of Warpora Sopur was critically injured when police fired upon a peaceful demonstration after Friday prayers. He received a bullet injury in his head and was rushed to SKIMS here for treatment where his condition is critical.
“He is in critical condition,” Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Amin Tabish, told Greater Kashmir.
As the news about the incident spread, eyewitnesses said thousands of people took to streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans following which more reinforcement was rushed to the area and strict restrictions put in place.
Thousands of people including women and children defied curfew after Friday prayers and staged protest in Bandipora. Led by 97-year old Sufi saint and scholar Peer Muhammad Afzal Fazili, people from Gamoora, Papchan, Bapora, Chek Arsaln Khan, Nadihla, Lawdara and adjoining areas marched towards Bandipora, raising pro-freedom and anti-government slogans.
As the procession reached near Jamia Masjid Nusoo, police and CRPF intercepted them, triggering clashes. However nobody was injured in the police and CRPF action, reports said.
Police fired several teargas canisters to disperse a procession which was marching towards Main Chowk Bandipora. Reports said several youth detained by police during the protests were released after women came out on roads and staged a massive protest.
Protests were also held in various localities of Sonawari like Nesbal, Safapora, Sumbal, Naidkhai, Hajin, Saderkoot and adjoining villages.
Late in the evening thousands of people from more than 15 villages of the district raised pro-freedom and anti-government slogans, marched towards the main market Bandipora.
They staged a dharna saying police and CRPF personnel would barge into their houses late in the evening, smash window panes and destroy property.
People defied curfew in Handwara town after prayers and staged massive demonstrations. The protesters chased away police and CRPF personnel deployed in the area. Protests also broke out in several places in Kupwara and other areas of north Kashmir.
Police used force to chase away protestors in Chuk Dudarhama, Ganderbal, after Friday prayers. However nobody was injured in the action. In Lar tehsil protests were also held in Kurhama and Manigam and Safapora.
Following relaxation in curfew for one-hour in Kangan to allow people to offer Friday prayers, it was re-imposed by the authorities fearing protests against the killings by police and CRPF.
Varmul town and adjoining areas today remained comparatively peaceful though people staged anti-government protests after Friday prayers.
GOWHAR BHAT ADDS:
In Srinagar, curfew remained imposed even as post-prayer protests broke out at several places. Owing to restrictions, congregational prayers couldn’t be held in a number of Masjids including the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown for the sixth consecutive Friday.
Hundreds of policemen, troopers of paramilitary CRPF and Rapid Action Force were deployed heavily in the city to check protests.
Posse of RAF accompanied by CRPF officials marched in various areas of the downtown.
The forces didn’t allow people to venture out of homes and erected barricades at several junctions to restrict the pedestrian and vehicular movement. At several places including Khanyar and Rainawari, they even stopped hospital vehicles and ambulances.
Till mid-day, the situation remained calm and no protests were reported from anywhere in the city.
However, after prayers, people staged protests at Bemina, Narwara, Iddgah, Channapora localities where three youth were killed in police and CRPF firing a few days back.
Protesters raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and demanded an end to the spate of ongoing killings of unarmed protesters. Police and CRPF, however, didn’t allow the protests to spread to other areas. The protesters later dispersed peacefully.
Post-prayer protest processions were taken out near Hyderpora, Nowgam, Baghat-e-Kanipora in uptown here against the ongoing killings. The protests ended peacefully.
At several places including Khanyar, Amda Kadal, Bota Kadal, Baghwanpora, Lal Bazar, people offered Gaibana Nimaz-e-Jinaza (funeral prayers in absentia) of the people killed over the past one week.
At Bota Kadal, people raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans took out a protest march which ended peacefully.
Locals of Nowhatta and adjoining its adjoining areas said that that police didn’t allow them to offer prayers in the Jamia Masjid and other Masjids.
Forces have locked down the Jamia Masjid on the past six consecutive Fridays while the chief cleric of the Masjid, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, continued to be under house arrest at his Nigeen residence.
“Police and CRPF men last night cut off wires of loud speakers and power cables at several points. They had closed all the entrances to Jamia Masjid and we were asked to pray inside homes,” Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Nowhatta told Greater Kashmir over phone.
Meanwhile, a Hurriyat spokesman condemned the locking down of the Jamia Masjid and putting under the house arrest its chairman, Miwaiz Umar Farooq.
“Scores of Masjids and shrines across Valley have been closed down by police and CRPF for the sixth running Friday. Hurriyat leaders have been kept under house arrest and they aren’t allowed to lead or offer prayers. It is highly condemnable and undemocratic,” he said.
He condemned the killings of unarmed protesters and termed it as a worst kind of state terrorism.
KHALID GUL REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD:
Despite heavy rains massive pro-freedom demonstrations rocked many villages of Islamabad in south Kashmir with police and paramilitary CRPF using force to quell the protests resulting in injuries to several youth.
Though curfew was strongly enforced in all the major towns including Islamabad, Bijbehara, Kulgam, Pulwama, Kakpora, Shopian, Tral and Awantipora, people of Pampore town defied the curfew restrictions and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations.
Amid heavy rains thousands of people took out a procession from Khankahi Mohalla after Friday prayers which swelled in number as it marched forward. Like in the past few days deployment of police and CRPF was withdrawn after announcements were made from the loudspeakers of the masjids to allow the peaceful protests.
People from the peripheral area of Pulwama and Kakpora including Tahab, Samboora took out a procession and marched towards Lonepora, Newa to express solidarity with the family of the slain youth, Shabir Ahmad, killed in police and CRPF firing in Wagam Pulwama Thursday evening. However, in Pulwama town curfew was strictly enforced and people were not allowed to offer Friday prayers in the centrally located masjids.
Meanwhile, the condition of Abdul Rasheed Reshi, injured in CRPF firing in Samboora Thursday evening, continues to be critical, according to the doctors treating him at SKIMS.
In Tral, Kakpora and Awantipora towns people were not allowed to offer prayers in the masjids. Similar, reports were received from Shopian town where curfew was strictly enforced.
Curfew remained strictly enforced in Kulgam and Qaimoh towns of the Kulgam district which witnessed violent clashes in the last few days between government forces and protestors resulting in killing of three persons. However, reports of protest demonstrations amid heavy rains poured from the peripheral areas of the district.
In Islamabad town curfew was strictly enforced and people were prevented from offering Friday prayers in all the centrally located masjids including Jamia Masjid Hanfia, Jamia Masjid Ahlihadith and Rehat Ded masjid Lal Chowk.
Later in the evening scores of youth in many areas of the old town and certain areas of KP Road defied curfew restrictions and pelted stones on police and CRPF who retaliated by resorting to aerial firing and lobbing tear gas canisters. Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that in Mattan Chowk area CRPF personnel directly fired on the protesters. However, there were no reports of any injury. Clashes in the town were going on when this report was filed.
Curfew also remained strictly enforced in Bijbehara town. However, massive pro-freedom demonstrations rocked many villages of Sangam including Nayana and Marhama. Pertinently, two teenagers were killed and several others injured in police firing on the protesters in Sangam few days back.
Reports of protests were also received from Sagam village of Kokernag and Larkipora area of Dooru after Friday prayers. In Sagam, six people were injured when police and CRPF persons lobbed tear gas shells and fired several rounds in air to disperse the peaceful demonstrations.
SHAFIQ MIR ADDS FROM POONCH:
The border region of Poonch and Rajouri also joined Kashmir protests as large number of people took to streets on Friday to condemn innocent killings by troops. Elsewhere in the region, the Imams of various Masjids condemned the killings of civilians in Kashmir saying that they can not be a mute spectator to the brutality.
A large number of people took to streets in Mandi Tehsil of district Poonch after Friday prayers. The procession was taken out from Government Higher Secondary School as people raised anti-government slogans and marched through main market Mandi where it was joined by another procession.
Addressing the gathering, Shamim Ahmed Ganai, a social worker said that the state government has crossed all limits of brutality and it needs to be ousted with out any further delay.
Ganai said that this protest was an indication that Poonch and Rajouri feel the wounds inflicted on Kashmiri brothers and no body on earth can snap their ties with Kashmir valley.
While addressing a gathering at Jamia Masjid Aiti in Rajouri, Moulana Farooq Ahmed said that the state government has failed to protect the lives and property of the people, instead it has become part of the killings and it must leave with out any further delay. He said, “We have religious bindings with the people of Kashmir.”
Similar views were expressed by Imam Jamia Masjid Rajouri, Ameer Muhammad Shamsi.
HAQ NAWAZ NEHRU ADDS FROM DODA:
After peaceful bandh in parts of Doda, youngsters took to streets after Friday prayers raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Though no one had given today’s bandh call, business establishments of majority community remained closed but schools and offices functioned normally. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the district.
In tehsil Gondoh, thousands of people gathered in Jamia Masjid Changa where Ghulam Hussain Bhat, brother-in-law of former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, condemned the oppression of the people of Kashmir valley. He said that J&K is a disputed territory and Government of India should start a dialogue with the agitators. He announced a peaceful bandh in tehsil Gondoh on Monday.
POLICE VERSION:
“Situation in the Kashmir valley remained peaceful today barring few violations of curfew and stray stone pelting incidents. Stray stone pelting incidents were reported from Shopian, Choon crossing in Budgam and Warpora Sopur.      Miscreants set ablaze the school building of Girls Middle School, Kalantra, Kreeri in Varmul and the Panchayat Ghar at D.K Pora, Baghat Kanipora, Nowgam, Srinagar. An unruly mob attacked police post Warpora, Sopur. The police and the security forces used lathi charge and tear smoke grenades/shells to disperse the unruly mob who was hell bent to intruding and ransacking the police post. The mob did not relent and the security forces were forced to fire, in which one person namely Rameez Reshi s/o Ghulam Nabi r/o Mundji, Sopur was injured,” a police spokesman said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 7 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST