National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who met the leaders of the Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), on Friday urged India to raise its voice over the ongoing crisis in Palestine and work for ways and means to achieve peace there.
“Mahatma Gandhi’s country has to raise its voice. Enough is enough, this bloodshed has to end. India has to work for ways and means to bring peace in Palestine,” Dr. Abdullah said, at a press conference in Srinagar.
Dr. Abdullah was accompanied by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami.
Dr. Abdullah thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending aid to Gaza. However, he said it was unfortunate that India during the United Nations’ resolution on Palestine preferred abstention.
“India should have voted and strongly pitched for peace in Palestine. When we can talk about the Ukraine crisis, this (Palestine) was more important as we continue to witness unprecedented killings of kids, young and old, men and women. Cities have been levelled up,” Dr. Abdullah said.
Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid ‘disallowed’
Meanwhile, the authorities “disallowed” Friday prayers for the fourth week at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid and barred Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from leaving his residence in Srinagar’s Nigeen area.
A spokesman of the Anjuman Auqaf, a caretaker body of the Jama Masjid, said the authorities disallowed the prayers and did not let Mr. Farooq to deliver the Friday sermon.
Meanwhile, Mr. Farooq, in a statement, condemned this “ban”. “Due to the policy of gags and bans by the State, people of Kashmir may not publicly be allowed to express their emotions and support for Palestinians. However, the fact remains that as a human one is moved and pained by the plight of people in Palestine,” Mr. Farooq said.
Mr. Farooq said it was painful that world powers were witnessing “the genocide happening and remain unmoved”. “Instead of stopping the carnage, the world powers are instead arming Israel to kill more people,” he said.
He said the Palestine crisis was a big challenge for the international community, especially the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). “They have failed in preventing this ongoing massacre,” he said.
