Kashmir’s first all-girl rock-band Pragaash have received full support from netizens of the valley after media reports suggested it had decided to quit after receiving abuse and threats.

Online blogs and social-media users expressed their solidarity with the three-member band after a website, thekashmirwalla.com, published a report about the abuse and criticism the girls were facing on the social networking site Facebook.

Pragaash, which means “from darkness to light” in Kashmiri, was formed in January last year has Farah Deeba on drums, Aneeka Khalid as bass guitarist and Noma Nazir as lead vocalist, and they all are high school students in the age group of 14-15. The band performed in public for the first time during Srinagar’s annual music festival Battle of Bands in December last year. Soon, the girls faced unwarranted threats and abuse on social media platforms.

"As a section of society criticised the girls after their first live performance in the city, we told them to quit the band," Deeba's mother told the Indian Express.

Meanwhile, a page has been created on Facebook, 'I support Pragaash — Kashmir's First All-Girls Rock Band', to encourage them not to quit.

Seeing the level of support the band has received, Aneeka expressed her appreciation and vowed to continue pursue music, if not in public.