Awantipora Teacher’s Killing: JRL announces protest program, calls for shutdown on Wednesday

Srinagar : Following the killing of an Awantipora resident in police custody on Monday night, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for the complete shutdown on Wednesday March 20, 2019.

Quoiting JRL, the spokesman 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 killed in custody at SOG camp Cargo today.

Paying glorious tributes to him and expressing deep grief and sorrow at his 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 it, JRL said that people will observe a complete and comprehensive protest strike on Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 (Tomorrow), against the “gruesome”custodial killing of Rizwan Asad.

The spokesman added that policies of intimidation and harassment by police, SOG and other 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 21st, 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 22nd, 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 violence in the Kashmir.