Kashmiris observe Indian independence day as Black Day

SRINAGAR – Kashmiris are observing India’s Independence Day, today (August 15), as black day to convey a message to the world that India has illegally occupied their homeland.

The day is being marked by complete strike in occupied Kashmir.

India had no moral or legal justification to celebrate its Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir, as it had occupied the territory against the will of the Kashmiri people.

Call for the shutdown has been given by the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and other resistance leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik and Shabbir Ahmed Shah in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).

The shutdown is aimed at conveying the message to India that it has no legal and moral justification to celebrate its Independence Day until it gives the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, Kashmir Media Service reported.

All shops, business establishments, education institutions and courts remained closed while transport was off the road.

The occupation authorities have imposed curfew in occupied Srinagar and stringent restrictions in other towns by deploying heavy contingents of Indian police and troops to prevent people from holding anti-India demonstrations.

Tight security measures have been taken around Bakhshi Stadium, the main venue of the official function. The police have laid concertina wires and erected barricades on roads running parallel to the Stadium.

CCTV cameras are being used for surveillance purpose.

The authorities continued to put Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Yasmeen Raja, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed, Zafar Akbar Butt, Hilal Ahmed War, Masroor Abbas and Ayaz Akbar under house arrest and illegal detention to prevent them from leading the demonstrations.

The puppet authorities have also jammed the mobile phone and Internet services in the occupied territory to stop people from exchanging information about the prevailing situation. -APP