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Protests in Kashmir Valley over Parachinar violence

SRINAGAR: Slogan-chanting crowds of Shia Muslims took to the streets at several places across Srinagar, Budgam and Baramulla districts of the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday evening to protest against the sectarian violence and looting incidents in Parachinar, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

This correspondent saw about sixty men and another twenty women marching along a road in Srinagar's Sayeeda Kada'l area and chanting anti Taliban and anti-Pakistan government slogans late Tuesday evening.

A candle-light protest was earlier held in Srinagar 's Zadibal area. The participants condemned the "organised violence" against the Shia Muslims of Parachinar, demanded justice and urged the international community to take a serious notice of the happening in the Pakistani town.

More such protests are likely to be held in the Valley in the next couple of days particularly on Friday.

Similar protests are reported to have been held in predominantly Kargil region of Ladakh.

The authorities have alerted the police and asked them to take necessary measures towards maintaining peace.

Meanwhile, the Shia leaders of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have strongly condemned the bloody incidents unfolding in Parachinar following a land dispute between the two sects of the local Muslim population.

Aga Syed Hassan, president of the Valley-based Anjuman Shara-e-Shian has while condemning these incidents urged Islamabad to take steps to stop the massacre of Shia Muslims of the region. Calling for accountability, he said, "The only crime of the victims is their Shia identity".

Another prominent Shia leader Imran Reza Ansari has written a letter to Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, requesting him to take the matter strongly with the Pakistani government.


( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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