By FK WEB DESK on 19/03/2019.

Srinagar, MARCH 19:  Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has strongly condemned the custodial killing of 28-year-old school teacher Rizwan Asad Pandith of Awantipora who was picked up by the SOG and  NIA a few days ago and has been brutally killed in custody at SOG camp Cargo today.  Paying glorious tributes to martyr Rizwan and expressing deep grief and sorrow at his brutal killing, JRL expressed sympathy with his bereaved family. Terming this brutal killing as gruesome, JRL said that this custodial killing is not only one of its kind but prior to this, hundreds and thousands of young and old Kashmiris have been killed in this manner. JRL said that this killing has actually increased the vulnerability of Kashmiri inmates languishing in different jails of India and jails of Jammu Kashmir, and jeopardized their lives.

            Announcing a comprehensive protest program against this state terrorism, JRL said that people will observe a complete and comprehensive protest strike on Wednesday, March 20^th, 2019 (Tomorrow), against the gruesome custodial killing of Rizwan Asad, Policies of intimidation and harassment by police, SOG and other Indian investigative agencies, arbitrary arrests, slapping of draconian PSA, summoning political activists to SOG camps and thus creating atmosphere of fear in Jammu Kashmir. On Thursday, March 21^st, JRL appealed all segments of society including Traders, lawyers, bar association, civil society, and others from different walks of life to peacefully protest against the custodial killing and assaults on Kashmiris. On Friday, March 22^nd, 2019, after Friday (Juma) prayers, people at all Masajid, Khanqahs and Imam Baras will raise their voices peacefully against this custodial killing by NIA and SOG and continuing policy of oppression unleashed by India.

            JRL said that those who raise their voice against the killing of our youth their arrests and slapping with PSA are branded as “anti-national “and threatened with dire consequences and intimidation. JRL said that while crackdown and arrest spree against political and religious activists and youth continues unabated on the other hand SOG has been calling political activists and youth to SOG cargo camp to intimidate them and create an atmosphere of fear among people in general. JRL said through their investigative agencies NIA and ED, the authorities have let loose a reign of terror to instill fear among people and harass them.

            JRL said that people of Kashmir have borne tremendous hardships and suffering for the last three decades especially, all because they are asking for an end to the conflict through peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the people’s wishes but instead people are being crushed.