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Kashmir Leaders Organize Silent Peaceful March Against Disappearances

By Fayaz Wani

The moderate faction of separatist amalgam, Huriyat Conference, will stage a peaceful protest rally on August 8 in the summer capital Srinagar, to protest against the enforced disappearances of thousands of youth in restive Kashmir.

The leaders of Huriyat moderate faction met here today under the leadership of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairperson of the conglomerate. Speaking on the occasion, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, considered a moderate Kashmiri separatist leader, said that more than 10,000 people have disappeared in the custody of Indian security forces in the restive Kashmir Valley during the past 19 years of turmoil.

The family members of the missing persons have been demanding setting up of a commission to trace out the whereabouts of the disappeared persons. They have been regularly staging protest demonstrations and protest rallies in Srinagar, but the government has not set up any commission yet to look into the matter, which has been termed as grave even by the pro-India political groups in Kashmir.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today said that he and other leaders of the conglomerate would hold a silent peaceful march on August 8 at 1100 hours in a local park in the heart of Srinagar city. "We will be staging the protest rally to seek the attention of the world towards this grave humanitarian issue", he said, adding, "The world human rights groups should stress on the Indian government to set up a commission to trace out the persons, who have disappeared in custody of Indian security forces during past 19 years of turmoil in the Valley".

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.