Separatist leaders placed under house arrest in Kashmir

Srinagar: Chairmen of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC)-- Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq-- and dozens of other separatists leaders have been put under house arrest or detained in the Kashmir valley. However, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik , who has to lead the UN march from Maisuma had gone underground. The HC and JKLF, spearheading the agitation in the Kashmir valley, demanding right to self determination, have urged people to join march from historic Lal Chowk to United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) office at Sonawar after Friday prayers.

The separatist leaders had announced that they will lead the march from their respective areas to UNMOGIP office. The Mirwaiz was today put under house arrest to prevent him from leading the UN march from historic Jamia Masjid, a spokesman for the moderate HC Advocate Shahidul Islam told UNI. He said security forces and state police arrived at the Nigeen residence of Mirwaiz at 0830 hrs and informed him that he cannot leave till further orders since he had been put under house arrest. A spokesman for the hardline HC Aiyaz Akbar said Mr Geelani remained under house arrest since his return from New Delhi in May last year.

However, during the period he was taken into custody for defying restrictions several times only to be released in the evening. A large number of security forces and police personnel remained deployed outside his Hyderpora residence to prevent him from moving out. He said two other senior leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan have also been put under house arrest. He said dozens of other separatist leaders of the amalgam have already been arrested since the eruption of unrest after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan and two other militants in an encounter in Anantnag in July last year. Meanwhile, police arrested the Mirwaiz south Kashmir Qazi Yasir and several other separatist leaders in Anantnag yesterday. (UNI)