Third PhD scholar martyred in IOK in six months

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred, today, two more youth including a PhD scholar, a third such highly educated youth in less than past six months.

The martyred scholar, Dr Sabzar Ahmed Sofi, along with another youth Aasif Ahmed Gojri was killed by the troops after they blasted a house in Nowgam area of Srinagar.

Earlier, troops martyred Dr Muhammad Rafi Butt, a Professor of Kashmir University on May 6, and Dr Mannan Wani, a scholar in geology from Aligarh Muslim University on 11th of this month.

Those who have a close watch on day-to-day developments in occupied Kashmir said that the killing of PhD scholars negated the Indian propaganda that only uneducated and unemployed youth are resisting New Delhi’s illegal occupation.

The cold-blooded murder of Dr Sabzar and Aasif Gojri triggered massive protests in Srinagar, Islamabad and other parts of the territory.

Several people were injured, three of them critically, when Indian troops fired bullets, pellets and teargas shells on the protesters in Dr Sabzar’s native area of Sangam in Islamabad district. The authorities suspended internet services and ordered closure of educational institutions in Srinagar, Islamabad and Budgam districts.

Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of Sabzar Ahmad at Sangam in Bijbehara. A group of mujahideen including top commander Zeenatul Islam appeared and offered him a gun salute. Dr Sabzar Ahmad Sofi was buried amid pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans.

The authorities sealed South Kashmir’s Kulgam district to prevent a march against the massacre of ten people by Indian troops in the district on Sunday. Call for the march was given by the Joint Resistance Leadership. South Kashmir districts continued to witness shutdown for the third consecutive day, today.

The members of High Court Bar Association in a statement condemned the killing of Dr Sabzar Ahmad Sofi and other martyrs. Bar members of Dooru, Islamabad, abstained from courts to protest against the arrest of fraternity member Advocate Muzaffar Magray.

Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai in their separate statements said that people were not even allowed to breathe freely in the world’s heavily militarized zone of Jammu and Kashmir. They urged the United Nations, OIC and human rights bodies to take notice of killings and other rights violations in the territory.

Kashmir Youth Assembly, UK, organized a seminar in Slough to educate the next generation about the Kashmir dispute. A documentary depicting Indian brutalities on Kashmiri people was also screened on the occasion.