Indian police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley to thwart anti-India protests.
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At least 34 people have been killed and 3,100 wounded, a lot of them in police firing, in the worst outbreak of violence in six years in the disputed territory.
The protests were ignited by the death of Burhan Wani, who was killed by Indian forces in a gun battle and had been the face of Kashmir’s militancy.
“Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government’s policy towards Pakistan is a “continuing story of U-turns, somersaults and flip-flops” that has undermined India’s national security and demanded an answer from the Prime Minister on what he has achieved so far on Pakistan after the steps taken by him”.
Wani sowed the seeds of a new rebellion following his beating by Indian soldiers in 2010, after he and his brother Khalid returned from buying some cigarettes for the soldiers.
In response, Mr. Swarup asked Pakistan to stop interfering in India’s internal affairs and said “India completely and unequivocally rejects in entirety the decisions adopted by the Cabinet of Pakistan on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Pakistan on Friday condemned the labelling of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani as a “terrorist” by the Indian government and announced to observe July 19 as a “black day” to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people, as India expressed its dismay over what it called the continued attempts by Pakistan to interfere in its “internal matter”.
The cabinet decided that “black day” will be observed on Tuesday (July 19). “Pakistan has no locus standi in Kashmir and the continued glorification of terrorists belonging to proscribed terrorist organizations makes it amply clear where Pakistan’s sympathies continue to lie”, it added.
At least 36 people had been killed in the week-long unrest before Friday with 1,500 people injured, including 100 who were hit by pellet guns used by Indian troops for crowd control, leading to eye injuries.
The release said Mullet told Lodhi that the UN Secretary General was concerned about the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and was ready to mediate peace talks between India and Pakistan provided the two neighbours accept his good offices.
Sudershan Khokhar, an ophthalmologist from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said he had not witnessed so many injured at one time in three decades.
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“During wartime, I think you will get such injuries”, the Indian Express newspaper quoted Khokar as saying.
