YFK Condemns Indian Occupation On 25^th Anniversary Of Gawkadal Massacre

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Youth Forum For Kashmir (YFK), Pakistan’s first pro-Kashmir youth-led lobbying group condemned the Indian occupation of Jammu & Kashmir at the 25^th anniversary of the tragic Gawkadal Massacre by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops.

On January 21, 1990, 55 innocent Kashmiris were massacred and 250 sustained bullet injuries at the localities of Gawkadal and Basantbagh situated in Srinagar. One day before Jagmohan Malhotra of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became the Governor of the state of Jammu & Kashmir and he ordered house to house search in order to arrest the Mujahedeen. In order to protest against this provocation, some 20,000 people took up to the street and shouted slogans against these actions. Unofficial death toll claims are at around 280. Now after 25 years, the case has been closed and the culprits have been declared untraceable.

YFK commemorates this brutal incident in a statement by condemning the heinous crime of the Indian Security Forces in the strongest possible terms. We draw the attention of the International Community and the Global Human Rights Associations to take notice of this massacre and demand the Indian Government to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. It also wants the World to play its due role in helping the Kashmiris achieve their Right of Self-Determination under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

The YFK is a grassroots lobbying group led by young Kashmiris and Pakistanis working to ensure justice to Kashmiris living under Indian military occupation.