An Indian army soldier pictured shooting a round of fires at protesters in Indian occupied Kashmir. Photo: File

 

SRINAGAR: A young man was killed and several others were injured when Indian army opened fire on peaceful protesters in Budgam district on Friday, the Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.

The 25-year-old youth, Tanveer Ahmad Wani, was martyred and many others were wounded when Indian Army fired upon the protesters in Beerwah area of the district.

Indian police also arrested the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, along with several party leaders and activists at Dalgate in Srinagar when he was leading a march towards the UN office at Sonawar where a sit-in protest was to be held, the KMS reported.

Call for the sit-in was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik to urge the UN to ask India to stop the massacre of people in Kashmir and to remind the UN to fulfil its commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities sealed Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, and disallowed Juma prayers at the mosque. This was the fifth consecutive Friday when weekly prayers were not allowed at the historic mosque. The outer gate of the Jamia Masjid was padlocked early today and Indian police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in strength in the area to prevent people from reaching the worship place.

All roads leading to the mosque were sealed and concertina wires were erected at the entry and exit points, witnesses said.

Authorities also imposed curfew in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of eight police stations in Srinagar to prevent people from holding the sit-in. The authorities also put Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt and Qazi Yasir under house arrest or in custody to stop them from leading the sit-in.