Conflict

Kashmir Economic Alliance backs shutdown call by JRL against ‘brutal custodial killing’ of school teacher

Srinagar: Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) has supported the strike call extended by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) against the ‘brutal custodial killing’ of Awantipora youth Rizwan Pandith.

In a statement, Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairman Muhammad Yousuf Chapri and Vice Chairman Ajaz Ahmed Shahdar said that killing of a teacher in cold blood makes it amply clear that people in Kashmir are totally unsafe.

They said that the custodial killing in the civilized world implies that how human values have degraded and how state is sponsoring a system based on suppression, repression and oppression.

“The killing of Rizwan Pandith is police custody is condemnable. It is a naked murder that has no justification. The killers need to be punished without any delay,” they said.

They while extending their support to the strike call forwarded by JRL appealed people mainly business community to observe a complete shutdown against this gruesome killing.

Rizwan Pandith, who was arrested by the police in a ‘militancy-related case’, died in police custody at CARGO camp in Srinagar last night, a police spokesman said in a statement.

Joint Resistance Leadership has called it an ‘act of state terrorism’, and announced a shutdown in protest against the same.

As soon as the news of the custodial death of Rizwan Pandith, a teacher in Awantipora reached the area, intense clashes erupted and a spontaneous shutdown was observed.

Reports said that all shops and other commercial establishments remained closed in the area while traffic went off the roads soon after news of death of Rizwan Pandith reached there.

Students at the University of Kashmir also staged a protest against the custodial death of Pandith and summons issued to Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Reacting to the incident, Omar Abdullah demanded exemplary punishment to those responsible for the death of Pandith.

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti while reacting over the custodial death of the Awantipora youth said that GoI’s repressive approach has left young educated men vulnerable who are forced to take up arms.

Peoples Conference Chief Sajad Lone in his reaction said that ‘this is what sanctity of human life has been reduced to in Kashmir.’

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