By Yusus Jammel
SRINAGAR, INDIA, Aug 26, Reuter: Indian police opened fire and killed a Moslem youth after they were attacked by angry worshippers around Srinagar’s historic grand mosque on Friday, police said.
They said three youths were injured in the shooting, which happened after a service during which prayers were said for the late Pakistani President Mohammad Ul Haq.
Witnesses said that during the service police, deployed outside the mosque in strength, had used tear gas to disperse Moslem youths who threw stones at them.
Thousands of worshippers trying to leave the 30yearold mosque after the service stampeded in panic because of the tear gas:
Groups of them attacked police, who opened fire when running battles erupted in the streets around the mosque, the witnesses said.
Police said a curfew had been imposed on the area and reinforcements brought in.
Tension has been high in Srinagar, summer capital of India’s predominantly Moslem State of Jammu and Kashmir, since ProPakistan demonstrations ended introits on August 15, Indian Independence Day.
The tension increased after Zia’s death on August 17 in a plane crash Pakistan authorities say was caused by sabotage.
At least six people were killed last week when police opened fire on Moslems defying a curfew to stage mourning processions for Zia.
The curfew was imposed in some parts of the city earlier this week to halt clashes between Shiite and Sunni Moslems during the shi’ite’s festival of Ashura.
Sunnis had accused Shiites of celebrating Zia’s death. Shiites said they were marking the start of a ceasefire in the gulf war between Tran and Iraq last Saturday.
Pakistan claims Kashmir is part of its territory and India has rejected a United Nations proposal for a state referendum to dead the issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 2, 1988
