In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in what appears to be an attempt to snatch away the remaining livelihood left with the Kashmiris, unidentified persons chopped scores of apple trees in two different areas in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district. The locals told media men that during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, miscreants damaged apple orchards belonging to several families in Kandipora and Bijbehara areas of the district. They said miscreants chopped down more than a hundred fruit-bearing apple trees by using axes and saws.

The locals said that the apple orchards are their only means of livelihood. “Dozens of families are dependent on apple crop and the chopping down of the trees has created tremendous panic among the locals,” they added. The locals demanded stern punishment to the culprits and compensation for the losses they have suffered. The locals talking to media men said how this happened when the Indian army, paramilitary and Special Operation Groups in all the area are conducting search operations, adding that unknown Hindutva goons in uniform and civic are responsible of such anti-Kashmir acts. The Modi regime aim and objective is to harass and weaken the local economy of people of the valley.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP