Geelani, Mirwaiz, several other separatists under house arrest
Srinagar, May 28: There was no relief for hardline Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani while head of moderate HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and several other separatist leaders have been put under house arrest since last evening.
Restrictions on separatists have been imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent any law and order problem. Both the factions of the HC and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation, have called for two-day strike from today in protest against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Sabzar Bhat, successor of Burhan Wani, and seven other militants in two different encounters yesterday. There was no change in the situation as security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani, a spokesman of the amalgam Aiyaz Akbar said.
Mr Geelani was not even allowed to offer prayers in a mosque since he was put under house arrest for the past one year, he said. 'I myself and a number of other leaders, including Peer Saifullah, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrayee and Mohammad Ashraf Laway had also been put under house arrest since last evening,' Mr Akbar said.
'We were not allowed to offer Taraweeh prayers in mosques last night,' he said. Chairman of moderate HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq was put under house arrest last night. A large number of security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside the Nigeen house of the Mirwaiz who has been informed that he cannot leave till further orders.
There was no restriction on JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who gave slip to security forces and reached Tral yesterday, where Sabzar Bhat and another militant Faizan were killed in encounter.