Srinagar, May 18: Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were placed under house arrest on Friday. In a crackdown on Hurriyat Conference (M) leaders, police also placed majority of leaders of the amalgam under house arrest.
Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar while talking to KNS condemned the octogenarian leader’s house arrest and called it a direct attack on the religious freedom and faith of Muslims.
He further said that no power in the world can disallow a person from offering his religious duties and the same is the worst possible violation of human dignity and freedom.
“Mirwaiz was going to inaugurate a free medical and blood donation camp in the courtyard of Jamia Masjid here to mark the Hafta-e-Shuhada. Mirwaiz had planned to donate blood on the occasion to start the camp. But he was not allowed by the government,” a Hurriyat (M) spokesperson said.
Later addressing the gathering at the camp by telephone, Mirwaiz lambasted the government for curbing their political activities. “On one hand the government is repeating the claim that there has been considerable improvement in situation of Kashmir and everybody has a right to put his point of view before people, on the other hand they are putting blanket ban on political activities and forcibly restraining people from fulfilling their religious duties,” he said.
Mirwaiz reiterated his commitment to pay tributes to late Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq and others at Eid Gah.
“The people will come to Eid Gah on May 21. They would make the day a success,” Mirwaiz said. Reports also said that hundreds of people took out a protest rally against Mirwaiz’s house arrest from Jamia Masjid to Mirwaiz Manzil.
The members of Masjid intizamya; Ghulam Nabi Zaki,Muhammad Shafi Khan, Alhaj Ghulam Qadir Beigh and others decried the house detention of Mirwaiz.
Hundreds of people including Hurriyat leader Shahid-ul-Islam participated in the blood donation camp.
According to the spokesperson, senior leaders including Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone and Shabir Ahmad Shah were also placed under house arrest.
Chairman of National Front, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, was stopped from proceeding to Sheeri Baramulla where he was scheduled to address a public gathering.
“He was arrested at Mirgund. It is highly condemnable. It is a tactic of the government to keep him away from public,” a Front spokesperson said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 IST