Kashmiri protesters defy curfew again

Demonstrators in the Indian-administered Kashmir have once again defied a curfew, taking to the streets to protest New Delhi’s rule.

The Friday demonstration in Srinagar comes despite a round-the-clock curfew that has been imposed across the valley for 13 consecutive days.

Protester chanted anti-Indian slogans despite the presence of thousands of policemen and Indian paramilitary forces, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had called for protesters to resume normal life on Friday and refrain from taking to the streets on Saturday and Sunday.

About 108 people have been killed since pro-independence protests began in early June. Blamed on Indian security forces, the deaths have angered Kashmiri people and triggered large protests.

Curfews and strikes have shut down the region’s summer capital of Srinagar and several other towns for weeks. A Press TV correspondent says residents are complaining of shortages of food and other supplies across the volatile valley.

India and Pakistan have claims on the entire Muslim-populated Kashmir region but possess partial rule over it. Pakistan has slammed India for its brutal crackdown on demonstrators.

Islamabad has urged the international community and regional countries to pressure India over Kashmir.

“The occupation cannot continue. The rights of the Kashmiri people cannot continue to be denied,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday.

Amnesty International has also called on India to take immediate steps to protect and respect human rights in Kashmir.

“Security forces should use the minimum force necessary to defend themselves or others against an imminent threat of death or serious injury. They should not employ intentional lethal use of firearms except where such use is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life,” Amnesty International said in a statement.