In Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed on Thursday in protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the disputed territory.
According to the Kashmir Media Service, call for the strike was given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and supported by all Hurriyat organizations. Traffic movement remained very thin in Srinagar and adjoining areas as the city was declared Red Zone.
Stringent restrictions marked by the proliferation of checkpoints were imposed across the Kashmir Valley.
Additional deployments of Indian troops were evident in and around Srinagar, notably surrounding the Bakshi Stadium, the chosen venue for Modi’s rally.
Besides, hundreds of Kashmiri youth were arrested during raids, crackdowns and search operations conducted by Indian military and police personnel over the past few days.
Omar Abdullah, the Vice-President of the National Conference, in a statement in Srinagar said that the government employees were forced to attend Narendra Modi’s rally under the threat of disciplinary actions. Abdullah also mentioned that private schools were instructed to provide buses for ferrying employees to the rally venue.
Meanwhile, Organization of Islamic Cooperation has voiced deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on behalf of the Islamic countries, Bilal Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations addressing the Human Rights Council during its general debate in Geneva called upon India to adhere to relevant UN Security Council resolutions and implement recommendations outlined in the two Kashmir reports by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
