Condemning the killing of a civilian Rayees Ahmad Sofi at Fateh Kadal here, the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani today termed it as ‘cold blooded murder and cowardly act’.
“None of the International laws pertaining to war does permit any such military action against unarmed civilians,” Geelani, said in a statement. He demanded impartial investigations under War Crimes Tribunal of the United Nations against the forces involved in the ‘custodial killing’ of the innocent youth.
He said, “Jammu and Kashmir has become the most militarized zone in the world and the troops have been involved in the killing of innocent people under the cover of AFSPA.”
Paying rich tributes to militants killed at Fateh Kadal here and Kakpora, Pulwama, Geelani said, “Our youth are laying their lives for their birth rights and we reiterate the pledge to take the ongoing movement to its logical end. We will never allow anybody to make a sell-out with the precious blood of our youth. We need to be aware of this and we are duty bound to safeguard their sacrifices and should desist from such activities which prove harmful for our movement.”
Geelani, while condemning the police action against media men, termed it as ‘highhandedness’.
“Media persons were performing their professional duties and there was no legal or moral justification for thrashing them,” Hurriyat (G) chairman said.
In is telephonic address to the mourners, who had assembled to attend the last rites of the slain militant Showkat Ahmad Bhat of Padgampora, Pulwama, Geelani said, “New Delhi is suffering from arrogance of power and is using an imperialistic attitude in Jammu and Kashmir to crush our movement of right to self-determination. Since 1947 our nation has rendered unparalleled sacrifices, but Delhi has not been able to suppress our passion with this brutality.”