China on Monday called for proper settlement of clashes in Kashmir which have left more than 40 people dead.
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Islamabad-Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Barjees Tahir Sunday said the government was highlighting Indian atrocities in occu-pied Kashmir at all local and worldwide fora.
Local newspapers in curfew-bound Kashmir failed to hit the stands Monday for the third consecutive day after the government’s clampdown on the media in the aftermath of widespread protests in the Valley.
Barjees said the Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir issue is very clear and we are firmed on it from the first day.
Violent protests have rocked Kashmir since July 9, following the death of Wani and two of his associates in an encounter with security forces a day earlier.
“The battle in Jammu and Kashmir is between the separatists and the country”.
After restricting mobile telephone services, authorities have now snapped landline connections to check the protests.
Rejecting and ridiculing it, the separatist leaders said that India’s “internalised propaganda” with regard to the current situation in particular and the Kashmir dispute in general “has blinded them to the extent that they are unable to understand and accept the genuineness of peoples’ anger and self-drive for freedom and justice”.
“We will be tough on militants and have sensitivity towards the people”, he said.
“Pakistan never reconciled the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India”, he said, adding it would be wrong to think that the situation deteriorated because of anything else, but Pakistan supporting terrorism in the violence-ravaged state. At least four persons were injured and two of them – Syeedah Akhtar, 45, and Showkat Ahmed, 26, – succumbed to their injuries in a hospital. The Valley has been after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.
Shops, businesses, banks, private and government offices remained closed.
All schools, colleges and universities in the Valley continued to be shut.
Mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended for the seventh day today while trains are also off the tracks in the Valley as a precautionary measure.
Authorities have officially confirmed that newspaper owners were asked not to publish newspapers till July 19.
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Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said. People complained of severe hardships due to security restrictions and separatist-called shutdown.
