Rally held in Kashmir against Indian forces' killing of protester

People in Indian-controlled Kashmir have held a rally against the killing of a 23-year-old man by Indian security forces, Press TV reports.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people took to the streets to show their anger at the excessive use of force by Indian troops against Kashmiri protesters.

The demo came a day after a man lost his life in South Kashmir when Indian forces opened fire on a rally held in solidarity with pro-independence Kashmiri fighters.

Kashmiris also launched a shutdown in the region and called on New Delhi to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.

Though the state government has ordered a probe into the deadly shooting, human rights activists believe that India has no real intention to prosecute those behind the frequent killings of the people in the violence-wracked area.

Activists also blame the Armed Forces Special Powers Act for the frequent occurrence of such fatal incidents, saying the law never questions the misdeeds of the Indian forces.

“Any such act, any such legislation can be abused and can get misused, because it immunizes the security forces from any sort of accountability,” Sheikh Showkat told Press TV, in reference to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which sanctions the Indian army to employ excessive and unbridled force in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 66 years of animosity between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim the region in full but have partial control over it.

Over the past 25 years, people in Kashmir have been engaged in pro-independence battles with the Indian government. New Delhi’s crackdown on the protests has left tens of thousands dead in the Muslim-dominated region.