Hurriyat leaders under house arrest

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, JUNE 15. Apprehending large-scale demonstrations in response to the All-Party Hurriyat Conference call for protests against ``state terrorism'' after Friday prayers, the authorities placed the APHC chairman and a few other leaders under house arrest while some others were detained as a precautionary measure. Police had to use force to disperse a procession taken out from the Jamia Masjid here.

The APHC chairman, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhatt, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Mr. Ali Shah Geelani, and Mr. Bhatt's close associate, Mr. Ahadullah, were placed under house arrest last evening and police deployed at their residences to prevent their movement. Mr. Geelani, who was arrested from Sangam yesterday while on the way to Shangus, was later released but soon police were deployed outside his house. Mr. Geelani had called for protests throughout the Kashmir Valley to protest ``state terrorism''. The call was supported by Pakistan and its official media continued to air it for the last two days. In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir too, protest rallies were planned.

Another senior Hurriyat leader, Mr. Javed Ahmad Mir, and the Awami Action Committee leader, Mr. Shahidul Islam, besides the Human Rights Front chairman, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, were arrested last evening and placed in police custody.

However, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, senior executive member, managed to reach Sopore to address a rally. Some middle-rung APHC leaders also addressed Friday congregations at different places. Mr. Abdul Ghani Lone was not disturbed.

Media attacked

The Hurriyat also came out strongly against the media for its insensitivity towards basic journalistic norms. Irked over the reports in many Srinagar-based newspapers on Thursday about differences in the conglomerate which led to the executive meeting ending inconclusively, the APHC spokesman said, ``these misleading and motivated reports can have reflection over the journalistic ethics and the credibility of the media.''

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