Kashmiris deprived of Friday prayers

HELD SRINAGAR: The people in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) were not allowed offer the Friday prayers and normal life continued to remain paralysed as the worst ever lockdown entered its 40th day, on Friday with schools, markets and other business establishments closed and public transport off the roads.

The hospitals have run short of medicines as unprecedented shortage of medicine and food caused a lot problem for people as communication links including mobile and internet services and TV channels are snapped in the entire Kashmir valley and areas of Jammu region since the 5th of the last month, the day India scrapped Kashmir’s special status.

Meanwhile, in a media interview, President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad has said that occupied territory incurred 3,900 Crore rupees loss in 39 days of lockdown. He further said that vacant houseboats and deserted hotels presents a grim picture of the tourism sector in occupied valley.

Expressing the deteriorated economic situation of occupied Kashmir, he said hundreds of the youth have lost their jobs as majority of the hotels in the valley have downed their shutters in absence of tourists.

Lockdown, curfew and communication blockade continue to take a heavy toll on the lives of all residents irrespective of caste, age, gender and creed. They are facing shortage of foodstuff, milk, life-saving drugs and other commodities.

According to doctors at Soura hospital, Srinagar, more than six patients die in the hospital on daily basis specifically due to the lockdown-generated issues. Meanwhile, in view of the worsening state of healthcare amid continued military siege in occupied Kashmir, a group of doctors in New Delhi have urged their government to allow them to visit the Kashmir valley to assess the exact situation in different parts of the valley.

The doctors associated with Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare in a letter to the Indian government said that the reports emanating from the valley are contradicting the government’s all-is-well claim.

A TADA Court has issued fresh production warrants of illegally detained Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik on the first of next month. The warrants were issued by the court in Jammu in connection with false cases registered against him thirty years ago.

The court also issued non-bailable warrants for Hurriyat leaders Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, Mohammad Rafiq, Javed Ahmed Mir, Meraj-ud-Din and others.

National Conference leader and Member of Indian Parliament, Akbar Lone, in an interview appreciated the role of Pakistan in highlighting the Kashmir issue internationally and putting pressure on India.