J-K police foils separatist protest

Srinagar, Dec 31 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday foiled a sit-in protest by a separatist group against the human rights violations in Srinagar.

The protest was organised by separatist Jammu Kashmir salvation movement.

Activists along with their chairman Zaffar Akbar Bhat were staging protest at the Lal Chowk by holding placards with messages of stopping human rights violations.

Police swung into action and arrested the chairman and also foiled their attempt to hold protest.

Salvation movement is the part of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq group.

Security forces in the troubled region have been accused of killing civilians in staged gun battles and passing them off as separatist militants to earn rewards and promotions.

Earlier this month, a human rights group in Kashmir said it had discovered some 1,700 unmarked graves linked to the region's separatist conflict and called on authorities to launch an investigation.

Last year, the same rights group said they had discovered nearly 1,000 unmarked graves in 18 villages in the same area. (ANI)