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Government Higher Secondary School Kaba Marg Islamabad set ablaze by unknown persons on Oct 30, 2016. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)
Condemning the burning of schools and other landmarks in mysterious fire incidents across the restive Valley, the civil society and the Kashmir Inc on Monday unanimously resolved that “schools are our national assets” and that “arsonists cannot be our comrades.”
The speakers resolved that there was a need for a “joint and tangible strategy to foil such nefarious designs”, a statement issued by KTMF said this afternoon.
In his address, the host of event and Kashmir Economic Alliance, Chairperson Haji Muhammad Yasin Khan said, “the burning of schools has shaken the entire Kashmiri nation and the hidden faces behind this conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the mass movement, need to be exposed.”
Iqra English Medium Public School set ablaze on Oct 28, 2016 by unknown persons. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)
Stressing on the importance of education, Khan, who also heads Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) said, “fire incidents at schools and elsewhere including shrines have turned into such a big concern for the people that now mere lip service won’t do but that tangible efforts are needed from the people of Kashmir to bring an end to this conspiracy of dragging the Valley to darkness.”
Reiterating the support to the peoples uprising led by the united Hurriyat Conference, the KTMF President said the trade community has been and shall be religiously following the protest program.
He agreed with other speakers from civil society that the on-going uprising needs to be taken ahead at “sustainable” pace.
Former Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir (FCIK) President Muhammad Ashraf Mir also expressed serious concern over fire incidents.
Greater Kashmir Columnist Mehmood Ur Rashid in his address said burning of schools cannot be seen in isolation but has its cause linked to the on-going uprising.
He suggested that the on-0going uprising should be “programmed in sustained way where play and pause of movement will play a vital role”. “We often keep only moving and forget to take halt,” he added.
Earlier in his address, prominent social activist and philanthropist, Dr Muhammad Farooq Kaloo said Kashmir being a conflict zone has been victim of such incidents like mysterious fires for the past several decades.
Government Higher Secondary School Botengo destroyed in blaze on Sep 10, 2016. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)
He suggested that people should come up with community efforts at Mohalla and village levels to come up with vigilantes, who keep vigil at places like schools to foil the nefarious designs.
Journalist Majid Hyderi, however, Said, “vigilantes couldn’t play a fruitful in conflict zone as people of Kashmir have already been craving for their own lives during the unrest.”
“Legally speaking, it’s the duty of the police to safeguard life and property of people. A government which can arrest over 10,000 youth and leave another 1000 blind on charges of stone pelting is supposed to be knowing the hands behind these mysterious fires,” he argued.
The speakers from the business community, on the other hand largely maintained that the state government unduly politicized education with many of the speakers taking at dig at Education Minister Naeem Akhtar in particular.
“From Abdullahs to Muftis, all Unionist leaders exploited Kashmiris for vetted interests,” the statement said.
Rising Kashmir Business Editor Mir Basit was also present.
The joint session of the civil society and Kashmir Inc resolved to hold another round of discussions over this serious issue and to decide future strategy.
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