Denounces arrest, imposition of curfew, detentions
Srinagar: The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has denounced the action of the state government’s action of foiling the holding of a public rally in connection with the 50th foundation day celebrations of Awami Action Committee (AAC) scheduled to be held today at Municipal Park Srinagar.
Talking to KNS, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that National Conference has been always scuttling the programmes framed by Awami Action Committee for the last many decades. He termed foiling of the rally, house arrest of APHC Chairman, arrest and house arrest of leaders and activists of Hurriyat and AAC as glaring example of dictatorial politics. Mirwaiz said that policies pursued by the National Conference led government has always been based on retribution, adding, restrictions on Hurriyat leaders and placing curfew and lodging leaders and activists in jails in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of AAC by National Conference Government is the continuation of its old vindictive approach.
Terming the action of government as draconian and vindictive Mirwaiz said that to foil the proposed rally government had imposed undeclared curfew in most parts of Srinagar city and sealed off all the routes leading to the Jamia Masjid Srinagar by laying spools of concertina wire, besides the government had put under house arrest as well as arrested the entire Hurriyat leadership and leaders, workers and activists of AAC. Mirwaiz said that the action of the government was worst example state terrorism.
He further stated that the ban on conducting rally, forcible restrictions on people, widespread crackdown on Hurriyat and AAC leaders and workers, was a reflection of defeat and frustration on the part of the government against the resolve of resistance leadership. Police arrested senior Hurriyat and AAC leaders including GN Zaki, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Baba, Advocate Mohammad Ashraf from TRC, Mohamamd Shafi Khan from Sarai Bala Amira Kadal,, Mohammad Yaqoob Masoodi Bilal Masjid, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, and Ghulam Qadir Beigh, Farooq Ahmad Saudagar, Mohammad Sidiq Hazar, and Abdul Aziz Mir Abi Gulzar were arrested by the police on their way to the rally venue at Municipal Park Srinagar.
The authorities also resorted to wanton arrests by arresting district president Islamabad Nazir Ahmad Sofi, district president Pulwama Habibullah Andrabi, district president Kulgam Abdul Salaam Khanday, district president Badgam Hakim Ghulam Nabi, and hundreds of activists and workers of AAC from across the valley while they were on their way to Srinagar to participate in the proposed rally at Municipal Park.
Mirwaiz stated that aggressive measures taken by the government against the APHC would in no way affect our freedom movement; neither would it stop Hurriyat from pursuing their political agenda. He stated that the leadership would soon announce new programme in connection with the 50th AAC foundation day celebrations.
The spokesman strongly condemned the house arrest of Chairman APHC Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq and other senior Hurriyat leaders including Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Agha Syed Hassan Al Moosvi Al-Safvi, Bilal Gani Lone, Moulana Abbas Ansari, and Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam to foil the golden jubilee celebrations.
He also condemned the arrest of senior Hurriyat leaders Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, arrested and lodged at Sherbagh police station, Islamabad, Zaffar Akbar Bhat arrested at Chanapora, Syed Bashir Andrabi and Engineer Hilal Ahmad arrested by Kothi Bagh police station, and Hakim Abdul Rashid arrested at Lal Bazaar. The spokesman condemned the use of unprovoked force against hundreds of Hurriyat activists and workers while they were protesting against the restrictions laid on the Hurriyat leaders and people to prevent the rally from taking place.
The spokesman said the head of Hurriyat Jammu chapter D.R Sharma, Kanwaljeet Singh from Poonch, Abdul Gani Shah from Kishtwar and scores of other leaders and workers were stopped while going to Municipal Park Srinagar.
The spokesman stated that Hurriyat or AAC had not given any call from strike or protest. He however, he hailed people for observing a protest strike on their own against the atrocities of administration and curbing the proposed rally by arresting and house arresting leaders and workers of AAC and Hurriyat, besides imposition of curfew, and unprovoked use of force against people protesting against the undemocratic measures taken by the government.