Srinagar, April 19: The Hurriyat Conference (G) on Monday accused the National Conference led coalition government of choking the political space in the state. It termed continuous detention of senior pro-freedom leaders as “political vendetta.”
The advisory council of the Hurriyat, which met here this afternoon, according to a amalgam spokesman observed: “The government is playing an injudicious and dangerous game by putting the pro-freedom leaders behind bars. For, whenever and wherever the peaceful political activities are curbed, the people naturally and instinctively take recourse to agitation by taking to streets to give vent to their feelings.”
The council expressed serious concern over the continuous detention of pro-freedom leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Firdous Ahmad Shah, Masrat Alam Bhat, Muhammad Yousuf Nadeem, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Mir Hafizullah, General Musa, Hilal Ahmad, Nayeem Ahmad khan, Muhammad Yousuf Mir and Muhammad Altaf khan.
 “The National Conference is repeating the mistakes it had committed in the past and is once again forcing people to take extreme steps,” the spokesman quoted council members as having said.
 The Hurriyat urged the ICRC to intervene to get the incarcerated leaders and activists released, including Farida Behanji and others who were recently convicted in Lajpat Nagar blast case.
 The spokesman said the advisory council meeting chaired by Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani also decided to organize a condolence meeting on April 23, after Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) here in memory of the noted Islamic scholar late Dr Israr Ahmad.
 Hurriyat, according to the spokesman, would invite Amir Jama’at-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Hassan, president Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom, Dukhtaran-i-Milat chief Asiya Andrabi, Yousuf-ul-Umar of Islami Study Circle, Showkat Ahmad Keng of Anjuman-e-Tableegul Islam, Abdul Majid Wani of Saut-ul-Haq  and Ghulam Ali Gulzar to speak on the occasion.
 The spokesman urged the youth and teachers of religious schools to participate in the condolence meeting.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST