Hurriyat strike hits occupied Kashmir

Police fired tear gas to break up a protest by stone-throwing demonstrators against alleged prison abuses as a strike paralysed life here on Saturday. Police said more than 100 young Kashmiri protesters hurled rocks at them in downtown Srinagar, shouting “We want freedom” and “Allah is Great,” blocking roads with logs and setting tyres alight.
The tear gas was fired after police failed to disperse the demonstrators using bamboo truncheons in the city. “Two of our men were injured by the stones and we had to take retaliatory action and fire tear gas,” said police official Imtiaz Ahmed. “We’ve detained three protesters.The demonstration came as a daylong strike to protest against alleged mistreatment of Kashmiri prisoners brought life to a halt in occupied Srinagar. The strike was called by APHC and lawyers to protest alleged atrocities against Kashmiris held in jails here and other parts of India.Most shops, offices, businesses and schools were shut and traffic was light. “The strike is to highlight the plight of Kashmiri detainees in jails,” said Syed Ali Geelani, who heads Hurriyat. The strike was backed by Kashmir Bar Association.
Local newspapers have been carrying letters written by prisoners alleging they are being denied proper health care and being subjected to other mistreatment. Authorities denied that prisoners are being badly treated. “The separatists and their supporters are trying to mislead people,” another police official said, asking not to be named.