ISLAMABAD – In occupied Kashmir, the routine life remained badly hit on the79th consecutive day, today, in Kashmir valley and Muslim majority areas ofJammu region with continued heavy deployment of Indian forces and strictrestrictions in place under Section 144.
According to Kashmir Media Service, some postpaid mobile phone connectionshave been restored, but there’s no sign of restoration of the internet andprepaid cellular phone services.
An informal, yet widespread civil disobedience movement has gripped theValley to protest India’s 5th August illegal action and its efforts toportray a sense of normalcy in the territory.
People from all walks of life including students, shopkeepers, fruitgrowers, businessmen and public and private sector workers are allparticipating in this extensive and non-violent initiative.
As part of this movement, public transport is off the roads, shops andbusiness centers are shut and educational institutions are without students.
A team of Kashmiri journalists who visited Shopian, Pulwama and otherdistricts of Kashmir said the locals describe a climate of fear, addingthat Indian forces were conducting night raids, arbitrary arrests andtorture on the youth.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Association of Parents of DisappearedParents, Parveena Ahanger who is known as the ‘Iron Lady of Kashmir’ forher relentless efforts against enforced disappearances has featured onBBC’s list of top 100 inspiring women.
Recalling what led her to form APDP, Parveena Ahanger in an interview saidthat her son was abducted when he was a student of 11th Class.
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The United States while expressing concern over the current situation inoccupied Kashmir has urged India to respect human rights and restore fullcommunication services in the territory.
According to Kashmri Media Service, the concern was expressed by ActingAssistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, ina statement submitted to the Congressional Subcommittee on Asia, thePacific, and Nonproliferation of the US Foreign Affairs Committee.
Alice G Wells said that the Kashmir Valley has not returned to normal andthe State Department has raised concerns with the Indian governmentregarding detentions of residents and political leaders.
Wells briefed the Congressional Subcommittee before the hearing on “HumanRights in South Asia” that the US had urged Indian authorities to respecthuman rights and restore full access to services, including internet andmobile networks.
She said while exact figures are difficult to ascertain, the US understandsseveral thousand people have been detained many without charges under thePublic Safety Act over the past two months.