Srinagar, Dec 2: Moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday alleged that Kashmir is a military State, where marshall law and military rule are the norm and the police operate under their own rule of conduct.
“Kashmir is tha military and police State. Army and police run the affairs of the state. The Kashmir government does not have any say in any administrative or security related decision,” Mirwaiz said while addressing people in South Kashmir.
He said the government has proved its handicap time and again. “It has been unable to do anything about the removal of draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) from Kashmir,” he said.
“By installing its puppets in Kashmir, the Indian government is trying to hoodwink the international community. However, the perception of Kashmir issue has changed dramatically at the global level and international community has recognized that Kashmir is a disputed territory, where human rights violations are going on unabated,” Mirwaiz said.
Accusing the government of muzzling separatist voices, he said, “The government is scared of the popularity of separatist leaders and is using every tactic to curb our movement. We are not being allowed to move freely or for that matter express ourselves. This is the worst kind of dictatorship”.
The separatist leader said talks are the only the solution to the Kashmir issue. “We believe that trilateral talks can lead to resolution of the Kashmir issue. However, New Delhi has been ignoring our conditions for creating a conducive atmosphere for the dialogue process. These include the release of political prisoners, end to harassment and detention of freedom loving youth including minors, removal of black laws and demilitarization,” he added.
