MUZAFFARABAD: Kashmiri men, women and children marched through the city on Tuesday, calling upon Islamabad to extend military support to the ongoing freedom movement in India-held Kashmir (IHK).

The rally, organised by the Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir, condemned the killing of six young men by Indian troops in Shopian.

On Sunday, four people were shot dead by the Indian army in Shopian during an alleged exchange of fire with a militant. The next day, two more bodies were found, raising the toll to six and triggering widespread protests in the area. Protesters claimed that India had given her army a licence to kill Kashmiris in an attempt to suppress them.

“For the last seven decades, Kashmiris have been calling upon the United Nations and international community to let them live a peaceful life but to no avail,” said PHJK’s Uzair Ahmed Ghazali while speaking at the rally. “The silence of the world body and others has encouraged India to go ahead with its killing spree in Kashmir,” he said.

“We have enough political, moral and diplomatic support [from Pakistan] but that’s not working anymore. A lot of blood has been shed in IHK and now the people are desperately calling for the Pakistani military’s support without further ado,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2018