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| October 11, 2006 | Wednesday | Ramazan 17, 1427 |
Annulment of Afzal’s death sentence sought
LONDON, Oct 10: An extraordinary meeting of Britain-based Kashmiri leaders of the All Parties Coordination Committee and the Justice Foundation Advisory Counsel has called for the annulment of the death sentence passed on Muhammad Afzal Guru in connection with the attack on Indian Parliament and urged the international community to seek clemency for him.
The meeting was held here at the Kashmir Centre with single agenda— the death sentence awarded to Afzal Guru.
A statement issued later said: “The meeting discussed all the aspects of Indian state terrorism and the leadership observed that India has always tried to curb genuine aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It noted that Indians have invented new ways and methods to silence innocent Kashmiris and eventually eliminate them.
“India, more precisely the Delhi establishment, has always played with the sentiments of Kashmiris and shown scant regard for their sensitivities.”
The meeting was informed that Mr Guru had been falsely framed in the parliament attack, and further more, shockingly the holy day of Jamutalwida has been chosen for the hanging, making it even worse for Kashmiris, thereby hurting the religious Muslim Kashmiri sentiments.
Judicial murder is also an innovation carried out under the draconian Pota law. Fake encounters, disappearances and custodial killings are order of the day. Rape has been used as a weapon of war to traumatise the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the meeting observed. The statement says that Mr Guru is yet another victim of a dreadful conspiracy; he has been denied a fair trial and not allowed to employ a lawyer of his choice.
So another Kashmiri is to be sent to the gallows in the footsteps of Shaheed Mohammed Maqbool Bhat, it adds.
The leadership, the statement says, identified itself with their suffering brethren in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. They were of the opinion that a judicial murder should not be allowed by international human rights organisations to materialise. It stresses that the international community should be kept informed about the explosive situation which may follow if Mr Guru’s death sentence is executed. Such an eventuality will alienate people of Jammu Kashmir further from India, and will be disastrous for the peace process between India and Pakistan.
The leaders appealed to international human rights organizations and the international community to act swiftly and save Guru’s life.
Executive Director Kashmir Centre Prof Nazir Shawl, Overseas MLA and President Muslim Conference UK Mahmood Riaz, Secretary General APICC Maulana Bostan Qadri, President Tehreek i Kashmir Mohammed Galib, Chief Organiser Liberation League Haji Nooruddin, President Advisory Council JF Dr Zulifiqar Ali, JKPP Tahir Aziz, and Vice-President Advisory Council J.F. Mohammed Farook attended the meeting.—APP
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