“Stressing that China’s position on the Kashmir issue has been consistent, Lu said the Chinese side hopes relevant parties can resolve the issue through peaceful means”, the statement said.
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Separatist leaders on Friday evening called for a 72 hour strike and protests against the killings of civilians.
Curfew remained in force in Kashmir and normal life paralysed for the ninth day on Sunday in the wake of clashes following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani that left 39 persons dead and over 3,100 injured.
After Burhan’s death, Kashmir is on boil and about 40 people have been killed and over 3000 including 1600 civilians injured in clashes between youth and security men during protests.
Kashmir based newspaper editors and owners staged a demonstration against police raids being conducted on all the printing presses.
Khanday said that the hospital had been overwhelmed by injured protesters at the weekend, adding that it was very likely that most victims would suffer permanent damage to their vision.
Kashmiri human rights activist Shaista Safi said that the people of Kashmir were thankful to human rights activists and civil society members from Pakistan who came to Muzaffarabd to express solidarity and share the pain of the people of Indian Kashmir.
He said by placing whole Kashmir under strict curfew from last many days and now banning every mean of communication India and its stooges have actually beaten all previous records of oppression, suppression and tyrannical behaviors’.
Mobile phone internet and services of private telecom operators remained suspended for the third consecutive day.
Limited call facility continued on post-paid cell phones provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
“Everyone says Kashmir is ours, no one says Kashmiris are ours”.
Meanwhile, people have been facing an acute shortage of essential commodities, including medicines, due to the curfew.
“The situation in the valley remained more or less under control”, a police spokesperson told IANS.
Senior separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and others have been either placed under house arrest or taken into preventive custody to restrain them from participating in protests.
Abdul Rashid Mukhdoomi, printer and publisher of Kashmir valley’s largest circulated daily, Greater Kashmir, said police raided his printing press at 2 a.m. and “took away all the newspapers that were printed and the printing was also stopped”.
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The central government has rushed another 20 companies of paramilitary forces to assist the state in quelling the street unrest.
