Thousands protest against fake encounters in south Kashmir

Anantnag, Feb 5 (UNI) Thousands of people, led by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, today took to the streets at Kokernag, the native village of Abdul Rehman Padroo who was killed by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of state police in a fake encounter.

Life in the entire area came to halt and thousands of people joined the procession led by Mr Malik and other JKLF leaders, protesting against the killing of Padroo and other civilians by the SOG in fake encounters last year.

The procession, after marching through different streets and villages, finally dispersed peacefully at Vailoo after covering about 15 kms.

Raising secessionist slogans, the people demanded a thorough probe into all custodial and other disappearance cases in the valley.

Addressing the processionists at Vailoo, Mr Malik said the two- year old peace process between India and Pakistan has not made any change in the situation in the Kashmir valley.

''Innocent people are being killed and later they are being labelled as foreign terrorists by the security forces and SOG to get rewards and promotions,'' he claimed.

The genocide of the Kashmiris are going on under a deep rooted conspiracy to strengthen the '' illegal occupation'' of the Jammu and Kashmir by India, he added.

He said the zero tolerance for Human Rights (HR), announced by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has not been imposed and people are being killed in fake encounters and in custody.

Mr Malik said if all the disappearance cases are investigated by an independent body, thousands of Army, paramilitary and police personnel will have to face the law.

The JKLF chief said that he has given a call for a one-day general strike for tomorrow in protest against the fake encounter killings.

''I will also go for three day hunger strike from tomorrow,'' he said, adding he will sit on fast until death if the HR violations are not stopped.

UNI