In Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK), the authorities have placed the Hurriyat forum Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, under house arrest in Srinagar, Kashmir Media Service reported on Friday. News of his death spread quickly in occupied Kashmir, where popular anger against Indian occupation in the Muslim-majority region often erupts into violent clashes between civilians and Indian forces. Rights groups, including the United Nations rights office, have accused Indian forces of acting with “virtual immunity” in occupied Kashmir, protected by laws that shield soldiers from prosecution. There have been more than 100 official inquiries into civilian deaths in occupied Kashmir since 2008 but none has resulted in convictions, said Khurram Parvez, a high-profile local activist. At the height of major demonstrations against Indian rule in 2016, another teacher died in military custody, fuelling popular anger.

Source: Pakistan Today March 22, 2019 07:52 UTC