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Protests galore on Human Rights Day
The police arrests activists of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front during a protest march against the alleged human rights violations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. Srinagar, December 10
Protest marches and seminars marked World Human Rights Day today while the police held more than 50 protesters preventing them from marching to the office of the UNMOGIP to submit memoranda seeking an end to the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

The police arrests activists of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front during a protest march against the alleged human rights violations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Amin War

Quake victims threaten self-immolation
Srinagar, December 10
Four men in Uri have threatened to immolate themselves after allegedly being denied compensation for rebuilding their houses damaged in last year’s devastating earthquake.

Soldier fires, people protest
Srinagar, December 10
Thousands of protesters took to streets in Anantnag district and blocked the national highway for several hours today, demanding severe punishment for a soldier who opened fire on a youth following an argument over the checking of his identity card.

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Srinagar

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Protests galore on Human Rights Day
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 10
Protest marches and seminars marked World Human Rights Day today while the police held more than 50 protesters preventing them from marching to the office of the UNMOGIP to submit memoranda seeking an end to the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, urged the Centre to announce a ceasefire and withdraw troops from the state to ensure a conducive atmosphere for a dialogue aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue. He was addressing a seminar on the "violation of human rights in view of dialogue process" at the party headquarters here today.

He said an everlasting solution to the Kashmir issue would not be possible without the involvement of the Hurriyat Conference in the dialogue process. "We do not accept the LoC and we talk about the future of both sides of Kashmir," Mirwaiz said. He expressed the hope that India visit of the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, and proposed Pakistan visit of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, would be fruitful towards the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The APHC Chairman alleged that the security forces armed with special powers continued harassment, excesses and killing of innocent people in Kashmir and blamed these forces for an "utter violation of the human rights".

In a memorandum addressed to the UN Secretary General, the APHC Chairman sought his attention towards "continuous sufferings and miseries" being faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He blamed the security forces for "extra judicial killings, involuntary disappearances, torture in detention centres, violation of the chastity of women and other human rights violations".

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Chairman of the hardline faction of the APHC also expressed concern over the violation of human rights at the hands of security forces in Kashmir. He was addressing a seminar on the occasion held at a hotel here on the occasion.

Meanwhile, more than 50 activists of the two factions of the JKLF each, led by Mohammad Yasin Malik and Javed Ahmad Mir, were taken in custody by the police preventing them from marching towards the office of the UNMOGIP at Sonwar here this morning. Hundreds of JKLF activists led by Mohammad Yasin Malik started a silent march from the Maisuma office this morning and were prevented by the police on the way to Sonwar, 2 km away.

A spokesman of the JKLF said that more than 30 activists had been detained and prevented from moving towards the UN office. At least 20 others belonging to the faction led by Javed Ahmad Mir were also held by the police to prevent them from marching to the UNMOGIP office for submitting a memorandum.

Quake victims threaten self-immolation

Srinagar, December 10
Four men in Uri have threatened to immolate themselves after allegedly being denied compensation for rebuilding their houses damaged in last year’s devastating earthquake.

“Our houses were rendered unfit for habitation by the October 2005 quake and we cannot see our families suffer,” Abdul Qayoom Shah of Ganderkote village in Uri said.

Three other villagers, Abdul Hamid, Showkat Ali and Zaffer Shah, have also threatened self-immolation.

“We will meet the Chief Minister and if justice is not done to us, we will commit self-immolation and the government will be responsible for this,” Ali threatened. — PTI

Soldier fires, people protest

Srinagar, December 10
Thousands of protesters took to streets in Anantnag district and blocked the national highway for several hours today, demanding severe punishment for a soldier who opened fire on a youth following an argument over the checking of his identity card.

Official sources said the police had registered a case against the Army and the soldier’s service weapon has been seized.

An Army spokesman said the incident was being investigated and the necessary disciplinary action would be taken against the personnel, if found guilty.

The sources said Manzoor Ahmed Wani was shot at and wounded by a soldier at Mir Bazar, Qazigund in Anantnag district after he entered into an argument with soldiers who demanded his identity card.

As the squabble was going on, one of the soldiers allegedly fired Wani in his abdomen, they added. — UNI