File photo
Unidentified gunmen killed a leader of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir state late on Thursday, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area.
Anil Parihar, 53, state secretary of the BJP, and his brother, Ajit, were shot dead in the predominantly Muslim town of Kishtwar, while they headed home after shutting their shop, police said.
Police are investigating whether it was a militant attack or a criminal act, a senior police officer said.
Anil Parihar was an influential leader in the region. He was considered a moderate and had a sizeable support base, even among Muslims, media reported.
Pakistan on Saturday marked "Black Day" to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir on the 71st anniversary of the dispute over the region.The day began with a moment of silence, bringing traffic across the country to a halt for a minute as a mark of solidarity and support for Kashmiris under Indian rule.On Thursday, the government urged the public to wear black armbands and hold prayers for the Kashmiris who lost their lives in the conflict in Indian-administered Kashmir.Political, social, and human rights activists held rallies in cities such as Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Muzaffarabad to protest the “illegal occupation” of the valley and demand the United Nations implement relevant resolutions.Pakistani Ambassador in Turkey commemorates ‘Black Day’On Oct. 27, 1947, Indian troops positioned themselves in Kashmir’s largest city, Srinagar, after India and Pakistan gained their independence from British colonial rule. The anniversary of this Indian action is observed by Pakistanis and Kashmiris as "Black Day", while India commemorates it as "Accession Day". The region has been a source of tension between India and Pakistan ever since.In 1989, Kashmiri resistance groups launched a campaign for independence or unification with Pakistan, leading to more than 70,000 deaths. India maintains more than half a million troops in the region.In separate messages, Pakistan’s president and prime minister reiterated their unflinching diplomatic and political support for the cause of the people of Kashmir."We pay homage to the sacrifices of our brethren in Occupied Kashmir and reiterate our unflinching and steadfast moral, diplomatic, and political support for the just cause of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir," President Arif Alvi said in his message.Premier Imran Khan said the day was a tragic one in the history of South Asia."Pakistan will not relent in its moral, political and diplomatic support until the Kashmiris realize their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions," Khan reiterated.Citing a June UN report on Kashmir, Khan said it acknowledged how Indian policies of occupation include well-documented human rights atrocities.Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.Since they were partitioned in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965, and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir. Kashmiri resistance groups in Jammu Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.Pakistan managed to take one-third of the Himalayan Valley in the wake of the 1948 war, with the remaining two-thirds of Kashmir going to India.
Pakistan marks 'Black Day' in solidarity with Kashmiris
Indian Kashmir, its only Muslim-majority state, has been beset by a 29-year-old insurgency.
India accuses Pakistan for sheltering anti-India militants but Pakistan denies that. Pakistan, which like India, claims the whole of Kashmir, calls for talks to decide the region's future.
The BJP leader in the state had two bodyguards but they were not with him at the time of the attack, said Kishtwar's senior police official, Rajinder Gupta.
Kashmir has been observing a complete shutdown on Monday to protest the killing of seven Kashmiri civilians and three militants the previous day.In Sunday's clashes, 43 others were also wounded in southern Kashmir's Kulgam district.While the militants were killed in a gunbattle with the Indian forces, the civilian supporters were killed in a blast when they entered the house from where the militants had been fighting.Indian forces use explosives to blow up the houses from which the militants fight during the gunbattles.The call for Monday’s shutdown was made by the region’s pro-Independence leadership.All business establishments, government offices, shops, educational institutions and transportation remained out of service.The Indian authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in several parts of the region to prevent pro-Independence protests and demonstrations.India to put former top climate change official on trial for sexual harassmentIndian officials exchange blame for train plowing into festival crowdJammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.Three militants, five civilians killed in Kashmir
Kashmir observes complete shutdown to protest killings
Kashmir is under direct rule by the federal government, which gives the BJP a free hand to control it ahead of a general election that must be called early next year.
Federal home minister Rajnath Singh said he was shocked and pained by the killing of the brothers.
"Police will leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to justice," Singh said on Twitter.
Kashmir has been at the heart of decades of hostility between India and Pakistan, which have gone to war over it twice since independence from Britain in 1947.