The United Jihad Council (UJC) led by Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin has already announced a week-long protest calendar from July 7 to July 13 to “commemorate Burhan’s martyrdom anniversary.”
Ten days ahead of the death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, J&K police have tightened noose around Kashmir’s resistance camp, claiming that Hurriyat leaders are “trying to raise tempo to disrupt peace.”
Burhan was killed in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on July 8 last year following which Kashmir witnessed more than a five-month-long uprising in which more than 90 youth were killed in action of government forces while thousands were either blinded or maimed.
The United Jihad Council (UJC) led by Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin has already announced a week-long protest calendar from July 7 to July 13 to “commemorate Burhan’s martyrdom anniversary.”
While Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has been confined to his Hyderpora house, the Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq too remains caged at his Nageen residence. Dozens of other Hurriyat leaders have either been lodged in various police stations or placed under house arrest.
On Tuesday, three Hurriyat Conference (G) leaders Ayaz Akbar, Altaf Ahmed Shah and Raja Mehraj-udin Kalwal were first lodged at police station Rajbagh and were later shifted to police station Kothibagh, sources said, adding: “Many others have been lodged at police station Kothibagh which include Zafar Akbar Bhat and Firdous Ahmad Shah.”
Akbar, Shah and Kalwal were supposed to face another round of questioning by the sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi on Thursday. A massive manhunt has been launched to nab other Hurriyat leaders “on the run.”
Police, according to sources, raided the residence of Hurriyat (M) leader Hilal Ahmed War at Maisuma but he wasn’t present there. War has gone into hiding. Another Hurriyat (M) leader Mukhtar Waza has been lodged at police station Sherbagh in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. JKLF (H) chairman Javaid Ahmed Mir has also been placed under house arrest.
Sources in the police said that directions have been issued by the top brass to keep a close watch on every middle and lower-rung separatist leader and ensure that “none of them disturbs peace.”
Kashmir Range Inspector General of Police Muneer Khan said: “There were two reasons for launching a crackdown on the separatists. They instigated youth to throw stones on the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr. And, they are trying their best to raise tempo on the eve of Burhan Wani’s first anniversary,” Khan said.
In an apparent reference to United Jihad Council chief Syed Salahudin, the IGP said why is it that all of a sudden militant leadership has decided to observe Burhan Wani’s anniversary this year. “Many militant commanders were killed, let them then observe anniversaries of all militant commanders throughout the year,” Khan said.
GEELANI CONDEMNS ARRESTS
The chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani has condemned the detention of Hurriyat leaders, terming it as “worst kind of state terrorism.”
In a statement, Geelani condemned detention of Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar and Meraj-uddin Kalwal, saying the authorities have virtually transformed state into a garrison.
Condemning the state administration for what he called ‘policy of vendetta’ and aggressive approach against the resistance leadership, Geelani said this clearly illustrates that how the government is muzzling the voice of the freedom-loving people of Kashmir.
“Such tactics will not weaken the resolve of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The state administration is very desperate to strangulate genuine voices, he said.
