Much has been written about Kashmir in prose and poem. Hundreds of brochures have been published, thousands of theories punched, tens of thousands of blogs written, at individual and institutional capacities.See also: Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
In the past, stones were pelted by the Kashmiri Muslim youth on the police in the streets of Srinagar for expressing their anger during 1931 Kashmir agitation.[5] After the rise of insurgency and separatist movement in Kashmir conflict, the stone pelting incidents became prominent in Kashmir from the 2008 Kashmir protests in which the separatist movement had taken a new dimension from gun-fighting with armed forces to the pelting of stones on them.[1][6] After the year 2008, stone pelting incidents in the valley were reported on regular basis, the prominent among them were recorded in 2010 Kashmir Unrest and 2016-17 Kashmir Unrest, nevertheless minor skirmishes were also reported in those intermediate years.[7][8]
In 2017, the publicity office of the Pakistan Army (Inter-Services Public Relations) produced an anthem for the stone-pelters which was based on real what happened in Jammu and Kashmir, entitled Sangbaaz ("stone-pelters,) the lyrics refer to the allegation that soldiers shoot rubber bullets at rock-throwers eyes to blind them, "You can snatch out our eyes, but you cannot snatch our dreams."[9] The song, which celebrates the stone-pelters as heroes working for the liberation of Kashmir was released on video by Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet.[10]
The act of stoning (rajm ) is mentioned in multiple Hadiths. However some factions within Islam disagree with the legality of rajm . In Pakistan, military dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq who implemented Sharia law reconstituted a court, which declared rajm as Islamic.[citation needed] (They don't fear the law, they don't care for their lives': Despair over Kashmir's young offenders)When 25-year-old Sajad Ahmad Gilkar stepped out on the morning of June 29, 2017, his family did not know he had deliberately left behind his cell phone and watch at home.
"He had to go to court for a hearing that day," recalled Naseema Bano, Gilkar's mother. "He had got so tired of these court appearances that he joked about renting a room near the court complex in Tengpora."
Gilkar had to attend regular court hearings in a slew of cases against him. According to police records, he was a "chronic" stone-pelter and participant in pro-freedom demonstrations that routinely broke out in Nowhatta, a neighbourhood close the Jama Masjid in Srinagar's old city. His family still live in an old-fashioned mud and brick townhouse in Nowhatta.