Srinagar, Apr 20: Hurriyat Conference (G) has strongly condemned the continued house arrest of its chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani since Wednesday evening.
 “Geelani was not allowed to move outside his residence to offer Friday prayers today,” said the conglomerate spokesman Ayaz Akbar in a statement today, terming it a sheer intervention in the peoples’ religious affairs.
 “Geelani is frequently placed under house arrest by the government to give a false impression to the world community that he is not lodged in any jail and is free to move everywhere,” the spokesman said, adding “but the fact remains that the government has virtually transformed his residence into a jail thereby putting restrictions on his movement. He is not allowed to carry out his social and political activities.”
 The spokesman said, “Geelani is a man of an ideology and he can’t forcibly thrust his views upon people. New Delhi and State government should fight Geelani at ideological level only by putting their own ideology before the people. In this war of ideologies it is unjustified to put curbs on Geelani’s political activities.”
 The amalgam has reiterated its appeal to the international human rights organizations to take to serious notice of Geelani’s continued house arrest and use their influence for his release.  
 Meanwhile, the Conglomerate’s incarcerated leader Dr Ghulam Muhammad Bhat was presented in a Court in Delhi today where the case was heard in a closed room. “On this occasion statements of four NIA witnesses were recorded and April 23, Monday, was fixed as next date of hearing,” said a spokesman of Hurriyat in a statement today, reiterating that Bhat has been implicated in a ‘false’ case with a purpose to damage the popularity of Geelani and his colleagues.
 Hurriyat, according to its statement, has filed a writ petition against this case in Delhi High Court and April 30, has been fixed as the date of hearing. “The Supreme Court senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani will plead the case in court on behalf of Hurriyat,” said the spokesman.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST