No relief for Geelani, restriction lifted on Mirwaiz

Srinagar, Apr 26: There was still no relief for the chairman of hardline Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani who remained under house arrest, while restriction on head of moderate HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq has been lifted after over 50 days. Though over 100 leaders and activists, particularly the alleged stone-pelters remained under detention, some of them under Public Safety Act (PSA), but there was no restriction on senior separatist leaders.

There was no change in the situation around the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani, who remained under house arrest since May last year, when he had returned from New Delhi. However, this winter Mr Geelani stayed in Kashmir, a spokesman for the amalgam Aiyaz Akbar said. He said large number of security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside the residence of Mr Geelani to prevent him from moving out.

Mr Geelani was not only prevented from offering Friday prayers in a mosque since restrictions were imposed on him, but also he was not even allowed recently to release his book on Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Mr Akbar alleged. He said more than 100 people, including youths, are detained in different jails and police stations in the state. He criticised authorities for re-arresting General Secretary of the HC Masrat Aalam after he was granted bail in a case. Masrat was re-arrested more than a dozen times after his detention under PSA was quashed by a court, he said.

The Mirwaiz was released from house arrest after 51 days, a spokesman for the moderate HC advocate Shahidul Islam told UNI. He said security forces and state police personnel, deployed outside the Nigeen house of the Mirwaiz have been withdrawn and amalgam chairman attended a congregation on the occasion of Meraj-un-Nabi yesterday. There was no restriction on any other HC leader, he said