MUZAFFARABAD, April 5: Hundreds of people took to the streets across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to condemn the stepped-up repression in occupied Kashmir and arrest of All Parties Hurriyat Conference executive member Yasin Malik under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota).

Demonstrations, public meetings and rallies were staged by the people in different parts of the liberated territory on the call of Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, member of the AJK legislative assembly and chief of the ruling Muslim Conference. The call was endorsed by the AJK government and supported by many other parties and organizations.

Pota, passed by the Indian parliament amid strong dissenting voices by the opposition parties on March 26, gives police sweeping powers to arrest, interrogate, intercept communications and detain suspects for up to 90 days without trial.

Mr Malik, chief of the pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was arrested in Srinagar on March 25 under the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, following allegations by Indian police that US $100,000 seized from a couple were sent for him by his colleague in Pakistan.

In Muzaffarabad, a public meeting was held under the aegis of Kashmir Liberation Cell at Central Press Club. AJK legislative assembly speaker Sardar Siab Khalid, ministers Syed Mumtaz Ali Gillani, Chaudhry Masood Khalid, Sardar Mir Akbar, JUI AJK leader Qazi Mahmoodul Hassan Ashraf, traders’ representative Alhaj Ashraf Qureshi, MC leader Khwaja Shafiq Ahmed were prominent among those who addressed the public meeting.

The speakers condemned India for unleashing a reign of terror in occupied Kashmir, but made it clear that New Delhi could not prolong its illegal occupation of Kashmir despite the use of brute force.

They said Pota was specifically enacted to crush the Muslims and other minorities which was evident from reports that all the people arrested so far under the black law were Muslims.

They expressed serious concern over the indifference of the world community towards the rapidly increasing incidents of killings and other atrocities at the hands of the occupation forces in held Kashmir.

The speakers asked the United States not to turn a blind eye towards the state-sponsored terrorism in occupied Kashmir particularly at a time when she (US) had launched a worldwide campaign against terrorism.

Later, the participants of the public meeting, many of whom were carrying black flags, marched from the press club to the office of the United Nations Military Observers, where the leaders delivered a memorandum.

Earlier at press club, a group of youth, led by JKLF activist Jehangir Awan, torched ana woman, Tazeem Bibi, 30, wife of Abdul Latif, was injured in Khanpur village in Khuiratta sector in shelling that began at noon and continued till 4pm.

A 22-year old youth, Abdul Hameed, son of Rafiq Shah, was injured in Tetrinot village in Hajira sector. Both were admitted to hospitals.

According to officials, 29 people have died and 142 have been injured in Indian shelling in Azad Kashmir since Dec 13.