Anti-war protestors abducted and tortured in Kashmir

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday June 09, 2002 17:42 by Gary - Socialist Party socialist at belfastsp dot freeserve dot co dot uk

Enclosed is a Socialist Party (England & Wales)press statement and one by Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party giving an account of attacks by reactionary jihadi Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen fighters on a demonstration organised by NAP Kotli (led by CWI members) today in Kotli, Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir. The Socialist Party in Ireland is part of the Committee for a Workers International, an international socialist organisation based in over 37 countries.

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Tel: ++ 44 20 8988 8760
Fax: ++ 44 20 8988 8793
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Socialist Party Press Statement
PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD. Tel:020 8988 8777
email: [email protected].
Web: www.socialistparty.org.uk

Press statement from the Socialist Party
For immediate use: 8 June 2002
Anti-war protestors abducted and tortured by Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen in Kotli, Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir
An anti-war demonstration of hundreds organised by socialist and left activists in the Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (NAP) and National Student Federation (NSF) was attacked by members of the reactionary Islamic Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen today in Kotli, Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir. Kotli has been shelled by the Indian army over the last few days.
An NSF member Shezard Mughal was taken hostage and tortured by Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen members and is hospitalised. A local Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen leader fired a revolver directly at the demonstration. Kotli District organiser of NAP Qasim Mughal was beaten up later on in the demonstration when two pick-up truckloads of Mujahadeen members attacked the demo firing Kalashnikovs in the air. NAP and NSF members bitterly criticised police and local administration officials who stood by and did nothing as these attacks took place. Police implied that they would not take action because Hizb-ul Mujahadeen are protected by Pakistani military intelligence, the ISI.
The demonstration was called under the slogans of: “Not to War! No to Terrorism! No to religious sectarianism! Yes to jobs, free education, health and clean water! Down with US imperialism! For youth, workers and peasant unity!” Speakers at the rally after the demo explained that only a united movement of Kashmiri, Indian and Pakistani workers, youth and poor peasants could stop the drive to war.
Press release ends

Press Statement
Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party

Breaking News….

Socialists attacked by Kashmiri Islamic group Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen…Two seriously injured and admitted to hospital…Tensions prevail at the main square in Kotli, Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir where hundreds gathered to condemn the attack.

Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen members took hostage two activists of the Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (NAP) and the National Students Federation (NSF). A Hizb-Ul leader, alias “Khichi”, attacked activists from NAP and NSF after an anti-war rally organised by NAP- Kotli members. Shezard Mughal, an NSF member was taken hostage and tortured by Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen members.

Later up to fifteen members of Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen attacked a peaceful rally called after the anti-war demonstration and held in the main square in Kotli. These Mujahadeen fired Kalashnikovs to terrorise the rally. During this attack Mujahadeen members attacked and hospitalised NAP district organiser Qasim Mughal.

An emergency meeting of NAP and NSF activists condemned the terrorists and thugs belonging to Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen and also the local administration and police apathy in refusing to deal with this matter. A resolution passed at the meeting called for the immediate arrest of these Islamic thugs and condemned the apathy of the authorities. An initial report has been filed with the police. If no action is taken against Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen then NAP and NSF will launch an agitation campaign calling for their arrest.

Kotli (Azad Kashmir) Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party members here in Kotli and National Student Federation activists organised a “Stop the war” rally on Saturday 8 June. This city has seen increased shelling over the last few days. A member of Hizb-Ul-Mujahadeen, alias “Khichi”, disturbed the peaceful march and threatened participants. Two protestors were abducted and tortured by the same organisation. Later protestors marched through the city putting forward slogans such as “No to war, No to terrorism, No to sectarianism! Yes to jobs, free education, health and clean water! Down with US imperialism! For youth, workers and peasant unity!”

The participants of the demonstration numbering about 150 included school and college students, unemployed young people and workers as well as activists of NAP and NSF.

The marchers gathered at the main crossing in Shaheed Chowk, Kotli where Anwar Khan, President of JKNAP said that “The capitalists for their business interests, with the blessing of the Indian and Pakistani ruling classes have created war tensions. This has not only increased the already dire problems for the workers, poor and oppressed classes nut has brought the region to the brink of a disaster. Thousands of families have been displaced from both sides of the Line of Control as a result of weeks of Indo-Pak shelling. Hundreds of children, women and the elderly have been killed during these shelling barrages. Today it is the need of the hour that pro-peace forces including trade unions, left political organisations in Kashmir, India and Pakistan and throughout the world should play their due role to get rid of the menace of war, capitalism and landlordism in this region and struggle for the genuine social liberation of the mass of the working class and poor” Anwar khan added that NAP and NSF had initiated this process as the first step in developing an anti-war movement. Others who spoke were NAP Kotli District President Ali Asghar, secretary Naeem Khan and Niaz Khan, central leader of NSF.

Contact Anwar Khan, President of NAP on ++ 92 58660 44651 or ++ 92 58660 45284

ENDS

Kotli has been shelled repeatedly over the last few days by the Indian army.

Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen attacked the demonstration three times: Firstly by a
local Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen leader driving a motorbike into the demo and being
repulsed; then by the same individual firing shots from a revolver directly
at demonstrators; and finally by two trucloads of Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen members
arriving at the demo firing Kalashikovs into the air. During these attacks
one CWI member was beaten up and another sympathiser was abducted and
tortured. Both have been seriously injured and hospitalised as a result of
these attacks. During these attacks police stood by. At later interviews at
the local police station, officials implied that they could not take action
because Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen was "protected by larger powers". This means that
they are backed by Pakistani military intelligence, the ISI. During
interviews with Individuals linked with the ISI attempted to pressurise NSF
and JKNAP members to drop the case they had filed with the police.

The demo has had an electrifying effect in the town and will be followed up
with other demos in cities elsewhere in Azad Kashmir next weekend. The local
population has linked the shelling of the town with the existence in the
town centre of a jihadi Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen camp. They also understand that
the same Hizb-Ul Mujahadeen group is responsible for the attacks on those
who are struggling for an end to the war.

CWI comrades in Kashmir said: "Not only are we facing shells provided to the
Indian army by Tony Blair's government, we are facing shells fired by the
most reactionary Islamic jihadi groups in Kashmir as well"

Can comrades please raise this issue as widely as possible and act
immediately on it by sending letters of protest to the following individuals
demanding the arrest of those responsible for the attacks on this antiwar
protest:

1)General Pervez Musharraf
President & Chief
Executive of Pakistan
Email: [email protected]

2)Mr. Abdul Sattar
Foreign Affairs of Paksitan
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Phone: +92-51-9211942
Fax :- +92-51-9207217

3)Mr.Abbas Sarfraz Khan
Kashmir Affairs, Northern Areas
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone:- +92-51-9211405
Fax:- +92-51-9202494