MUZAFFARABAD: Dozens of people staged a demonstration on Monday in the aftermath of a violent clash between police and protesters during a by-election in Srinagar a day earlier, which killed eight Kashmiris while over a hundred were injured.

The demonstrators marched through the district headquarters complex, chanting anti-India slogans.

“In the wake of recent killings of the Kashmiri youth, we call upon the international community to take stock of Indian terrorists in occupied Kashmir,” read a banner held by the demonstrators.

Speaking on the occasion, leaders from various groups said India was committing genocide of Kashmiris with impunity which should not go unnoticed.

They were of the view that killing of the eight people, who chose to boycott the vote, was yet another proof to expose India’s false claim that Kashmir was its integral part and called upon the United Nations to intervene without further delay.

The prominent leaders part of the protest were Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, Uzair Ahmed Ghazali and Mushtaqul Islam.

Meanwhile, AJK President Sardar Masood Khan condemned the incident and said India was robbing Kashmiris of their fundamental right to life. “This genocide and other crimes against humanity in India-held Kashmir must stop.”

Mr Khan pointed out that the Kashmiris rejected India’s electoral process.

“The United Nations should not act like a disinterested bystander in the wake of the ongoing human rights crisis in occupied Kashmir. It must take steps to hold a democratic and fair plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the Kashmiri people in accordance with its own resolutions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2017