Sheikh Abdul Aziz Killed - Violence Flares in Kashmir

[HAIDER]

SRINAGAR, India, Aug 11 (AFP) - Indian troops on Monday shot dead prominent Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz as he was taking part in a demonstration in the revolt-hit region. Sheikh Abdul Aziz, a former militant turned moderate political leader, was taking part in a protest march close to the Line of Control, which separates the Indian and Pakistani parts of the Himalayan region. Dr Manzoor Ahmad at Srinagar's main hospital, said Aziz died of a gunshot wound. Security forces immediately imposed a curfew in Srinagar, officials said. Aziz, 52, was a prominent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of moderate Kashmiri separatist groups who are waging a peaceful and political struggle against Indian rule over part of Kashmir. The shooting came as Indian security forces tried to prevent about 100,000 Muslims from marching towards the de facto border with Pakistan. The marchers had reached a point just 40 kilometres from the Line of Control, despite repeated efforts by Indian police and paramilitary forces to break up the demonstration with tear gas and warning shots. (Posted @ 20:12 PST)
- DAWN - Latest Stories; August 11, 2008

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

A tragedy.

If the moderates go, the extremists will fill the vacuum.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Death toll up to 12 now per Aaj News.

 

[Contrarian]

It is sad, if the man who died was a moderate. It would be a blow to the normalization of Kashmir.

 

[Spring Onion]

The massacar of Muslim Kashmiris continues at the hands of brutal Indian Army in Indian Held Kashmir.

The Kashmiri leader was targted by Indian police. It was target assasination.

Another murder by shame Indian democrzy.

 

[Goodperson]

Its very sad that Kashmiri leader was shot dead, But details are not known.
There was a ban to cross LOC. Circumstances are not known yet.

The massacar of Muslim Kashmiris continues at the hands of brutal Indian Army in Indian Held Kashmir.

The Kashmiri leader was targted by Indian police. It was target assasination.

Another murder by shame Indian democrzy.

Only accusations, no substance ? Please do not club this with usual anti-Indian rhetoric with religious tinge.

 

[HAIDER]

death toll increase..curfew impose in SriNagar.

 

[batmannow]

The massacar of Muslim Kashmiris continues at the hands of brutal Indian Army in Indian Held Kashmir.

The Kashmiri leader was targted by Indian police. It was target assasination.

Another murder by shame Indian democrzy.

Dear JANA , mam.. PLZ , remember what ppp + BB did provided the list of SIKHS, i guss, same as for now, GUSS , why ZARDARI was sending enovys to SONIA GHANDHI???

 

[Myth_buster_1]

Article Tools Sponsored By
By SOMINI SENGUPTA and YUSUF JAMEEL
Published: August 11, 2008


NEW DELHI — Indian security forces, in a bid to stop thousands of protest marchers from the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley from approaching the disputed frontier with Pakistan, on Monday fired into crowds and killed a prominent Kashmiri separatist, the Kashmir state government said.

The government swiftly responded by imposing a curfew on Srinagar, the valley’s principal city, for the first time in a decade or more.

At least 3 died in the protests, which were prompted by a blockade of the main road between the valley and the plains of northern India. More than 100 were injured, mostly in Srinagar and in Baramullah, a town about 27 miles from the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir. Monday’s violence threatened any immediate prospects of calm within Indian-controlled Kashmir, the state known as Jammu and Kashmir, which has been roiled by increasingly ugly tensions between Hindus and Muslims in recent months. Though India has largely succeeded in suppressing a violent separatist insurgency, the underlying bitterness remains.

The latest outburst began in late May, when the state government turned over 98 acres of land to a panel that administers Amarnath, a popular Hindu shrine high in the Himalayas.

Those Muslim protests faded after the government rescinded the order, but then Hindus in the plains of Jammu erupted. Hindu nationalists blocked a vital highway linking the Kashmir Valley, with its Muslim majority, to the plains of northern India. Their blockade prevented essential supplies from flowing into the valley and the main cash crop — apples, at the height of harvest — from being shipped out.
Apple farmers and traders said last week that they intended to break the blockade by trucking produce through Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.


They did not get very far. On M0nday, Indian security forces thwarted marches from numerous cities and towns across the valley well before they reached Line of Control.

The state government said Monday night that police had warned the marchers not to proceed beyond Baramulla, but “the crowd did not relent and in order to disperse the unruly and violent mob, the police was forced to open fire.” A bullet was said to have killed Sheikh Abdul Aziz of the moderate separatist coalition known as the Hurriyat Conference, in Baramullah. Its leader, Umar Farooq, who is also chief cleric of the Kashmir Valley, said Mr. Aziz, a former militant, died instantly. Speaking on Indian television Monday night, Mr. Farooq warned that the killing would make matters worse. “The people of Kashmir are not going to sit still at the death of a leader,” he said on NDTV.

Asked repeatedly whether a march to Pakistan was wise at a time of heightened tension, Mr. Farooq said the road blockade had left Kashmiris with no choice, describing it as “a war against the people of Kashmir.”

Police vans with loudspeakers ranged through Srinagar announcing a curfew. Thousands defied the call, carrying Mr. Aziz’s body from the main government hospital to the historic Grand Mosque, chanting pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans.

A mob razed a paramilitary police booth at the hospital entrance.Aapparentlyin retaliation, police forced their way into wards and fired tear gas, Dr. Wasim Qureshi said from the hospital.

The troubles in Kashmir province are the worst since the anti-Indian rebellion in the 1990s. For several years the government has sought to restore normal life, including launching a bus service for Kashmiris to visit relatives by crossing between the Indian and Pakistani areas of Kashmir. Peace talks underway between India and Pakistan since 2003 have made progress, even on the thorny issue of Kashmir.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

Amarnath row: 5 killed in firing at march to ***
SRINAGAR: In an alarming escalation of violence tinged with communal overtones, five people — including a Hurriyat functionary — were killed and 150 injured in police firing in the Kashmir Valley on Monday.

Violence spiralled as cops shot at protesters, many of them apple growers infuriated with the valley's economic blockade, marching towards Azad Kashmir on the call given by separatists as well as mainstream politicians.

Nearly 50,000 protesters defied curfew along a 40km stretch on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road from Sheeri to Uri in Baramulla, continuing their march in the face of repeated warnings from security forces. Most of them were fruit growers saddled with unsold produce which they were threatening to market across the border because the only road linking the valley to the rest of India is blocked near Jammu by agitators who want 100 acres of government land to be transferred to the Amarnath shrine management.

 

[Interceptor]

Dear JANA , mam.. PLZ , remember what ppp + BB did provided the list of SIKHS, i guss, same as for now, GUSS , why ZARDARI was sending enovys to SONIA GHANDHI???

And dont forget that PPP created the political movement in Kashmir.

Also dont forget that PPP stomped India in the UN security council on the Kashmir issue which people can read transcripts of ZAB and watch videos of.

 

[Interceptor]

It is sad, if the man who died was a moderate. It would be a blow to the normalization of Kashmir.

Lets start asking the question where is India's 100 year old democracy, this is a political murder and it would spark new tensions, by killing them you cant rid their voice.

Blatantly done those responsible should be brought to justice. That is the first response.

 

[ejaz007]

Its very sad that Kashmiri leader was shot dead, But details are not known.
There was a ban to cross LOC. Circumstances are not known yet.
Only accusations, no substance ? Please do not club this with usual anti-Indian rhetoric with religious tinge.

Circumstances are quite clear. Hindu extremists have blocked the valley and disrupted economic activity of Kashmir. Kashmiris do not have any other option other than Azad Kashmir link. When they attempted to go towards Azad Kashmir Indian forces fired on them. What clarity do you need. Its crystal clear state sponsored terrorism.

 

[ejaz007]

Deadly Force Used to Halt March in Kashmir; Separatist Leader Is Killed
By SOMINI SENGUPTA and YUSUF JAMEEL
Published: August 11, 2008


NEW DELHI — Indian security forces on Monday fired into marchers and killed a prominent Kashmiri separatist in an effort to stop thousands of protesters from the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley from approaching the disputed frontier with Pakistan, the Kashmir state government said.

The government responded by imposing a curfew on Srinagar, the valley’s principal city, for the first time in a decade or more.

At least three people died in the protests, which were prompted by a blockade of the main road between the valley and the plains of northern India. More than 100 were injured, mostly in Srinagar and in Baramula, a town about 27 miles from the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir.

The violence on Monday threatened any immediate prospects of calm within Indian-controlled Kashmir, the state known as Jammu and Kashmir, which has been agitated by increasing tensions between Hindus and Muslims in recent months.

The tensions began in late May when the state government turned over 98 acres of land to a panel that administers Amarnath, a popular Hindu shrine high in the Himalayas.

Protests by Muslims faded after the government rescinded the order, but then Hindus in the plains of Jammu started their own demonstration. Hindu nationalists blocked a vital highway linking the Kashmir Valley, with its Muslim majority, to the plains of northern India. Their blockade prevented essential supplies from flowing into the valley and the main cash crop — apples, at the height of harvest — from being shipped out.

Apple farmers and traders said last week that they intended to break the blockade by trucking produce through Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

They did not get very far. On Monday, Indian security forces thwarted marches from numerous cities and towns across the valley well before they reached Pakistani territory.

The state government said Monday night that the police had warned the marchers not to proceed beyond Baramula, but “the crowd did not relent and in order to disperse the unruly and violent mob, the police was forced to open fire.”

A bullet was said to have killed Sheik Abdul Aziz of the moderate separatist coalition known as the Hurriyat Conference, in Baramula. The coalition’s leader, Umar Farooq, said Mr. Aziz, a former militant, died instantly. Speaking on Indian television Monday night, Mr. Farooq warned that the killing would make matters worse. “The people of Kashmir are not going to sit still at the death of a leader,” he said on NDTV.

Asked whether a march to Pakistan was wise at a time of heightened tension, Mr. Farooq said the road blockade had left Kashmiris with no choice, describing it as “a war against the people of Kashmir.”

Police vans with loudspeakers announced a curfew in Srinagar. Thousands defied the call, carrying Mr. Aziz’s body from the main government hospital to the historic Grand Mosque.

A mob razed a police booth at the hospital entrance. The police forced their way into wards and fired tear gas, Dr. Wasim Qureshi said from the hospital.

The troubles in Kashmir Province are the worst since the anti-Indian rebellion in the 1990s. For several years the government has sought to restore normal life, including starting a bus service for Kashmiris to visit relatives by crossing between the Indian and Pakistani areas. And peace talks between India and Pakistan have made progress.

Somini Sengupta reported from New Delhi, and Yusuf Jameel from Srinagar.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/world/asia/12kashmir.html?ref=world

 

[vish]

Political murder; IA killing Kashmiri leaders -- propaganda at work real time.

The guy died in police firing; this was not an encounter.