Srinagar, Feb 2: The killing of two girls in Sopore by unidentified gunmen has evoked strong condemnation by Laskare-e-Toiba, United Jihad Council and various other pro-freedom organizations.

WE CONDEMN: UJC
The chairman of United Jihad Council Syed Salah-ud-Din has strongly condemned the killing of two sisters terming it as “the handiwork of Indian agencies.”
“The killing of two sisters has caused a profound grief to the whole Jehadi leadership. Such acts are highly inhuman and against the basic principles of Jihadi movement. Those fighting in the way of God can never perpetrate such heinous crimes,” said Salah-ud-Din, according to a UJC statement issued today by its spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain.
The UJC demanded an impartial probe into the incident and exemplary punishment to the killers.
Praying for the sisters, Salah-ud-Din has expressed sympathies with their families.

CONDUCT IN’TL PROBE: GEELANI
The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani while strongly condemning the killing of two sisters by unidentified gunmen in Sopore has demanded an independent international probe into the incident.
In a statement from New Delhi, Geelani termed the killings of Arifa and Akhtar of Sopore as barbaric. “Such mysterious killings have been taking place for the past many years in Kashmir. In these killings, the involvement of many elements within and outside has been established. Ironically, the Government has been at the forefront of appreciating those who are instrumental in innocent killings in the Valley by bestowing them with rewards and promotions,” Geelani said.  “The killings of two sisters in Sopur is a murder of humanity. Those involved in the gruesome and heinous murder have no religion. Islam does not give authority to any person to kill a human as a punishment. Only the Court of Sharia is entrusted to order execution of a person only as a last resort,” he said.
Geelani said on one hand the Government awards criminals and on the other, FIRs in most of the 112 killings last year is yet to be registered. “This is sheer lawlessness and anarchy in the state. The state terrorism on Kashmiris is being inflicted through non-locals,” he said.
On the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent statement in which he had accused the separatists of maintaining silence over the Sopore killings, Geelani accused him of shielding the killers of the youth killed in last year’s summer unrest.
“I have directed the Conglomerate’s leaders and activists to not only console but stand by the bereaved family of the two girls in this tragic moment,” he said.
Geelani has refuted the police claim that Fayaz Ahmad Wani of Lolipora Pattan is a militant. “The Government is implicating the activists of the Conglomerate,” he said.

WE ARE NOT INVOLVED: LET
The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) has strongly condemned the Sopur killings.
In a statement to local news agency Kashmir Media Network, the Let spokesman Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi termed the reports that the outfit was involved in the killings as baseless.
“The innocent girls have been killed by the Indian agencies to create confusion among the people and defame the LeT. By undertaking such cowardice acts, the agencies want to create a wedge between the LeT and the people,” he said. “LeT has been giving unflinching sacrifices for the freedom movement. We hope that people understand the evil designs of the Indian agencies. We have ordered a probe into the matter at our own level. Whoever is found involved in the crime will be handed over to people of Sopore.”

INHUMAN: MIRWAIZ
The Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has condemned the killings of two sisters describing it as an inhuman act. "Whosoever has killed the two sisters, it is an inhuman act," a spokesman of the separatist amalgam said in a statement here.
He said to put an end to innocent killings it was imperative that the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with wishes and aspirations of people of the state.
The statement hit back at those who had questioned separatists' silence over the killings.
Apparently referring to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the spokesman said these people were in the habit of saying "why now and why not then?"
BARBARIC: NAYEEM
The senior Hurriyat leader and chairman Jammu Kashmir National Front Nayeem Khan said the killing of duo can’t be justified.
In a statement, Khan said: “No one can tolerate such heinous crimes. A murder is a murder and the culprit must be punished. The killing of the two sisters reflects the design to malign the ongoing freedom movement. A conspiracy has been hatched to carry out the genocide of Kashmiris. The policy of oppression and suppression is not going to help India prolong its control over J&K,” he said.
Khan said Islam prohibits killing of children and women in any circumstances. He expressed serious concern over the atrocities and harassment of innocent people allegedly by soldiers.
Khan has sought an independent probe into the killing, which he said “will unearth the roots of conspiracies hatched against the Kashmir freedom movement.”
He also expressed solidarity with the family of the deceased. “Kashmiri women have always supported the ongoing movement. We are proud of our mothers, sisters and daughters,” Khan said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 3 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST