Srinagar, June 23: The Jammu and Kashmir Government Wednesday booked Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, under Public Safety Act.
The District Magistrate Srinagar, Meraj Ahmad Kakroo confirmed that the pro-freedom leader was booked under PSA. “I have issued the PSA order. It has to be executed by the police and he (Geelani) will be lodged at subsidiary jail at Chesmashahi,” the DM told Greater Kashmir.
“He was booked for issuing provocative statements with anti-national feeling and instigating youth for disrupting public order,” Kakroo said. Sources said the time period for which Geelani shall remain under detention would be determined by the State Home Department.
Geelani’s detention followed a massive crack down on the separatists by the Government for the past few days wherein scores of pro-freedom leaders and activists of Geelani-led Hurriyat were arrested.
Geelani was arrested Monday last after addressing a gathering at Silkoot, Kupwara. He along with other Hurriyat leaders including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was shifted to Joint Interrogation Centre at Humhama on the outskirts of Srinagar.
On Tuesday Police arrested Democratic Freedom Party leader, Moulana Abdullah Tari, and Peoples Political Front leader Musadiq Aadil besides Hurriyat (G), spokesman Ayaz Akbar from his residence in the city outskirts.
Importantly, the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Hurriyat Conference had called for an all-party’s meeting on June 24 to evolve a joint strategy to resist the ongoing civilian killings.
Mirwaiz had stated that he would invite Geelani to attend the meeting. However, there was no response to the announcement made by the Mirwaiz from Hurriyat (G).
The octogenarian separatist leader has been booked under PSA on several occasions in past. Recently he was booked in June 2009 when he spearheaded the agitation against the rape and murder of two women in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. The maximum period of detention under the PSA is two years but can be applied variedly by the authorities ranging from six months to the maximum term. The person booked under the Act can be held without any trial.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had blamed separatists for instigating innocent youth to attack security forces leading to loss of lives.
Hitting out at the separatists, Omar had said some “elements are instigating the youth to shed their blood to satiate their vested interests while their own children are living a luxurious life in and outside the country.”
Meanwhile the District Magistrate also slapped PSA, 4th in row, on Tehreek-e-Millat Islamia activist Muhammad Yousuf Nadeem, sources said.

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