Srinagar, June 25: Senior separatist leaders, Shabir Ahmed Shah, and Nayeem Ahmed Khan on Monday said that attack on them near Khanyar was a preplanned move. They described it as a handiwork of familiar faces who are donning robes of Azadi.
 “It was a pre-planned attack. We know them. We have identified them. They are wearing the robes of Azadi but are involved in anti- movement activities. When we reached there, people raised pro-freedom slogans and were accompanying us to the shrine. Suddenly some 10 to 12 boys armed with stones, bamboo sticks and iron rods appeared there and attacked us. But people particularly youngsters threw themselves on us to save us from the assault,” Shah told a news conference here.
 Shah said, “They wanted to frighten us but let me remind them we have full faith in Allah. Threats and assaults cannot keep us at bay.”
 “People from all over Kashmir were calling us and wanted to avenge the attack but we pacified them, as we are mourning the gutting of 200-year old shrine. It is a black day for all of us. We requested them to remain calm.”
 National Front Chairman, Nayeem Ahmed Khan said that it is a black day for us but people tried to hijack the situation and settle their scores. “We went there to express solidarity with the people but some miscreants tried to launch a murderous attack on us. It was pre-planned attack on me, Shah Sahib and others. It is for the first time that a person who has spent more than 20 years in jail was assaulted. It was an attack on the people associated with movement by the people who are actually anti-movement.” Khan said.
 Khan said that a list of the people who were involved in the attack have been identified and will soon be made public, “We will let people decide their fate.”
 Meanwhile, Shabir Ahmed Dar said that people who assaulted Shah were shouting, “Will you make third front, another Hurriyat ?”
 JKLF Chairman (H) Javaid Ahmed Mir, Mukhtar Ahmed Sofi, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash who were present on the occasion condemned the assault on the leaders.
 Meanwhile, United Jihad Council (UJC) and Hurriyat Conference (M) condemned the attack on Shabir Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan and others.
 “ It is a deplorable act and we condemn it,” the UJC’s Muzaffarabad based spokesman told Greater Kashmir over phone.
 A spokesman of Hurriyat (M) in a statement said, “It is an assault on Kashmiri nation and miscreants would be unveiled soon.”

Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST