The joint resistance leadership (JRL) Tuesday strongly condemned the custodial death of a 30-year-old school teacher Rizwan Asad Pandith of southern Awantipora police district and called it “gruesome and brutal”.
In a statement, the JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik paid tributes to Rizwan and expressed grief and sorrow over his “brutal killing.” They also expressed their sympathies with the bereaved family.
The JRL statement said: “Rizwan’s custodial killing is not the only one of its kind. Prior to this, hundreds and thousands of young and old Kashmiris have been killed in this manner. This killing has actually increased the vulnerability of Kashmiri inmates languishing in different jails within and outside Jammu and Kashmir, and jeopardised their lives”.
Announcing a “comprehensive” protest programme, the JRL said people will observe a “complete and comprehensive protest” strike on Wednesday (March 20) against the “gruesome custodial killing of Rizwan Asad, policies of intimidation and harassment by the police, special operations group (SOG) and other investigative agencies, arbitrary arrests, slapping of PSA (on youth and leaders) and summoning of political activists to SOG camps to create an atmosphere of fear in Jammu and Kashmir”.
On Thursday (March 21), the JRL appealed to all sections of the society including traders, lawyers, bar association members and civil society activists to “peacefully protest against Rizwan’s custodial killing and assaults on Kashmiris”.
“On March 22, after Friday (congregational) prayers, people at all masjids, khanqahs and imam-baras will raise their voices peacefully against this custodial killing and continuing policy of oppression unleashed by New Delhi,” the statement read.
The JRL said those raising their voices against the killing of youths, their arrests and slapping of PSA on them are “branded as anti-national” and “threatened with dire consequences and intimidation”.
“While crackdown and arrest spree against political and religious activists and youths continue unabated, the SOG has been calling political activists and youths to SOG cargo camp to intimidate them and create an atmosphere of fear among people in general,” the statement read.
“People of Kashmir have borne tremendous hardships and suffering for the last three decades in particular—all because they are asking for an end to the conflict through peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the people’s wishes. But instead the people are being crushed,” the statement read.