Business community to observe a complete shutdown on Monday
Srinagar: The Executive Committee of The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) expressed shock and concern at the sharp increase in the use of “brutal force” against the unarmed civilians of Kashmir.
The spokesman said that killings of six innocent people and brutalization of unarmed civilians at Larnoo, Kulgam calls for the condemnation in the strongest possible terms and the business community of Kashmir once again urges the Government to restrain from launching operations in civilian areas which invariably trigger more killings and worsening of the law and order situation.
“The seemingly endless loss of innocent Kashmiri lives is a matter of pain and anguish for all of us. Apart from the killings, there are disturbing reports about the physical and mental torment to civilians during and after the operations. Such reports were reported from Fateh Kadal and it’s adjoining areas of Srinagar city after the recent killings at Fateh Kadal on 17th of October.”
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that it offers its deepest condolences to the families of innocent unarmed civilians and request the business community to observe a complete shutdown on Monday, the 22nd of October, 2018 as a mark of protest against the brutalization of our population.
“The KCC&I has time and again appealed against giving of a free hand to vested interests, the results of which are apparent for all to see.”
Six civilians were killed in a powerful explosion after a gunfight in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in which three militants were killed on Sunday. One more civilian succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Soura taking the death toll of civilians to six.
The news about the Kulgam killings spread like wild fire and public movement in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley virtually came to a grinding halt as passenger transport vehicles were rarely moving on very few roads in the Srinagar city.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has termed the killing of civilians as a carnage which shows that Kashmir has been turned into a slaughter house.
The JRL gave a shutdown call for Monday, and said that on Tuesday, people along with JRL leadership will march to Lal chowk and hold a protest sit-in against Indian aggression.
Calling the Kulgam killings as ‘terrible news’, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked “how long can the ground realities be ignored and living in denial of bad situation in Kashmir.”
