Lives snatched at gunpoint, stories of Kashmiri victims
Story: Farhan Tariq
A public movement of unarmed citizens has been going on in Pakistan-administered Kashmir for the past two and a half months, protesting for their basic human and economic rights. In response to this demand for rights, a complete blockade has been imposed across the state. Despite the shutdown of the internet, severe shortage of food and medicines, crackdowns and shutter-downs, central sit-ins are being held in various areas including Rawalakot.
During this public movement, hundreds of citizens have been killed, hundreds injured due to direct firing by Pakistani forces, and countless people have been forcibly disappeared or arrested and imprisoned in various jails, where their families are not even allowed to meet them.
Kashgil News is presenting the true stories of these unarmed civilians and their grieving families who were victims of violent acts, in the form of a video and written series. Kashgil News
………………………………………………………………….
Gul Muhammad Khan, a resident of Rawalakot, said that his 23-year-old son Usman was killed at Chinar Chowk on July 27 during a long march of the government-banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Public Action Committee.
According to Gul Muhammad Khan, he raised his sons by working hard. Usman was sixth among his brothers and worked in a hotel.
He said that on July 27, Usman went to participate in the sit-in at around 3 pm. At 7 pm, he received information that Usman was injured and was being taken to Kotli. Usman did not go to the sit-in every day, but would go when it was announced.
According to the grief-stricken father, he did not know until then that his son had passed away. When Usman’s body reached his home at around 9 pm, he came to know the truth.
The 23-year-old son of a working-class father was alive when he went to the sit-in, but his body returned home a few hours later.
***
Share this content:
