Geelani held ahead of Eid march
Ishfaq Ahmad Shah
Srinagar, Sep 08: Police arrested Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani on Wednesday from his Hyderpora residence.
According to sources, a police party led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bashir Ahmad informed Geelani about his arrest at around 9 am in the morning.
However, Geelani evaded the arrest for several hours before being finally taken away at around 12:30 in the afternoon. He was taken to Humhama police station where he has been kept under detention.
According to a police statement, Geelani has been taken into preventive custody by Budgam Police under section 107/151 of CrPC.
“He had planned certain programmes which could have disturbed the public order. Keeping in view all the expected developments which could have occurred by his moves, he was arrested and has been lodged in Police Post, Humhama,” the statement reads.
Prior to his arrest, Geelani addressed mediapersons in which he named Nisar Hussian as the acting Hurriyat (G) chairman and Masrat Alam Bhat as party General Secretary.
“In consultation with the executive council of the party, these leaders will announce the future protest programmes and strategy,” he said.
Geelani also appointed Muhammad Abdullah Shiekh as acting chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.
The veteran separatist leader reiterated his threat to intensify the protests after Eid-ul Fitr if India continuous to drag feet on his five conditions.
“India will repent if it fails to meet the conditions,” he said.
Terming his arrest as a frustration on part of the government, Geelani said the protest chart will remain as it was. “The new calendar will be out before the ongoing calendar expires on September 15,” he said.
Geelani urged people to wear black bands on Eid-ul Fitr as a mark of protest against the killing of youth in past three months. He also urged people to celebrate the festival with austerity.
Stating that the ongoing movement in Kashmir doesn’t belong to any individual but belongs to the whole nation, he said, “Everybody including trader, businessman, students and every other class has suffered during these three months but nobody has been tired out. I salute the resilience shown by people of Kashmir.”
Condemning Geelani’s arrest, Hurriyat (G) spokesman, Ayaz Akbar alleged that the government is impeding on religious rights in the valley. “It speaks volumes about the level of frustration that this government is going through,” he said.
Masrat Alam said the arrests of youth and leaders will not deter people from struggling for “freedom” of Kashmir.
Jamaat-e-Islami has also condemned the arrest of Hurriyat (G) chairman terming the police action as “undemocratic, unwarranted and against all ethos of civilized law”.
In a statement issued here, Jamaat demanded immediate release of Geelani and other Hurriyat leaders and youth languishing in different jails of the state.
Meanwhile, authorities also placed Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on Wednesday.
