Srinagar, May 28: Paying homage to the victims of Shopian tragedy, Aasiya and Neelofar, on their second death anniversary on Sunday, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on Saturday appealed the people to organize special prayers for them on May 29 and May 30.

 “On these two-days, we need to reiterate the pledge that honour and chastity of our daughters’ would not be allowed to be ravaged by anyone at any cost,” Geelani said in a statement.

 “Though 2-years have passed, the hands of law and justice are yet to reach the perpetrators of this heinous crime. As a result, the victims’ family members continue to be in the state of pain and agony,” Geelani said. 

 He alleged that the Kashmir police and CBI were equally responsible for hushing up the case. “And the state rulers could also not be exonerated.

They all made this simple case of rape and murder mysterious and ambiguous to provide protection to the criminals. The people have lost confidence in the government agencies and they do not expect any justice from them. For, the perpetrators are none other than the police officers who have access to higher echelons of power,” he said.

 Geelani alleged that hundreds of women like Aasiya and Neelofar had been the victims of the “barbarity and savagery” of armed forces in different areas of the Valley.

 “The armed forces were using the humiliation of women in the state as a war weapon. In the last two decades, about 30,000 women have either been humiliated, molested or raped,” he alleged. 

Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 May 2011 00:00:00 IST