LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq says the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani during Eid days showed the brutality of Indian forces in the held Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters after leading (in absentia) funeral prayers of the Kashmiri commander and social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi at Mansoora here on Saturday, Mr Haq claimed that the Modi government had directed the Indian forces in the held Kashmir to kill youth. He said Wani had been killed in a fake encounter after which the occupation forces opened fire at his funeral procession killing eight others.

He said the Kashmiris’ freedom movement continued despite the presence of 800,000 Indian troops in the held Kashmir that showed it could not be crushed through force.

The JI chief said India was also tightening the noose against Dr Zakir Naik by linking him with terrorists. Ban on Dr Naik and his channel would be considered an attack on the millions of Indian Muslims.

He said while the Indian army was killing innocent Kashmiri people, the rulers in Islamabad were dying for friendship and trade with India. “It is primarily due to the pro-India policies of Islamabad that the Kashmiris are still far from their destination,” he said.

Paying tribute to Edhi for his services for humanity, he said the best way to pay homage to him was that the government should provide shelter and free medical cover and education to the poor. He also demanded that a university be named after him.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2016