A series of protests were held today against the custodial death of a school principal of Awantipora. The government didn’t allow the Friday congregational prayers at Kashmir’s biggest mosque – the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar – third time in the current month.
The family of deceased Rizwan Pandit staged a protest atAwantipora in Pulwama district and demanded time-bound inquiry into the death.
The authorities imposed strict curbs on the movement ofpeople in most of downtown Srinagar.
On the call of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), JKLFleaders and activists led by Showkat Ahmed Bakshi and Sheikh Abdur Rashid led aprotest rally at Maisuma after Friday prayers against the custodial death ofschool principal Rizwan Asad Pandit, 28. Rizwan was picked up by police onMarch 19, he died in custody two days later.
“Killings of innocents is going on unabated. We are stillmourning the custodial death of Rizwan and a minor – Atif Mir – has been killedwith impunity in north Kashmir,” said the protestors while holding placardswith pictures of Rizwan.
Similar protests were held at Rajouri Kadal, Soura andMakhdoom Sahab areas of downtown where protestors condemned Rizwan’s death incustody. In various masjids, Imams and Khateebs denounced the custodial deathof Rizwan terming it as unacceptable.
Shutdown continued in Awantipora township. The family andrelatives of Rizwan protested after the Friday prayers, seeking justice.
The students and staff members at Sabir Abdullah PublicSchool Tral also organized a protest rally for Rizwan. Complete shutdown wasobserved in Tral township on Friday against the detention of youths. All shops,business establishments remained closed in the town with thin movement ofpublic transport on the roads. As per sources, 20 youths have been detained bythe forces in nocturnal raids in Tral during last one month.
No Prayers at Jamia Masjid:
The authorities imposed stringent curbs to prevent peoplefrom proceeding towards Jamia Masjid Srinagar for Friday prayers. A witnesssaid that there was heavy deployment of forces including paramilitary forcessince morning on roads while as all the gates of Jamia Masjid were sealed.”This is for the third time that authorities disallowed Friday prayers at thegrand masjid in the current month,” said a resident of Nowhatta.
While Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani continues to remain under house detention, the Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest at his Nigeen residence Thursday evening.
IRFAN AMIN MALIK