Mirwaiz under house arrest, Valley tense

SRINAGAR: Authorities imposed curfew in old city areas of Srinagar on Saturday to foil separatists' call for march towards Eidgah to commemorate the killing of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone today. The normal life was thrown out of gear by the shutdown call given by the moderate Hurriyat Conference.

A senior police official said the restrictions on the movement of the public were imposed in nine police station areas of the old city in order to scuttle Saturday's separatist gathering at the Eidgah grounds.

Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq appealed to the people to observe complete shutdown across the Kashmir Valley and told them to peacefully assemble at the Eidgah grounds in the afternoon, where a public meeting would be held to commemorate the death anniversaries of the slain separatist leaders besides laying the foundation stone for martyrs' wall at Eidgah.

While Mirwaiz of Kashmir Molvi Mohammad Farooq was killed by unknown Hizbul Mujahedeen militants in his Nigeen residence in 1990, Abdul Gani Lone, a senior Hurriyat leader was killed while attending the commemorative function of the former Mirwaiz in the Eidgah grounds in 2002.

A senior police official said Mirwiaz Umar, son of the former Mirwaiz Kashmir Molvi Farooq was placed under house arrest and restrictions were imposed in Safa Kadal, MR Gunj, Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Nigeen, Soura, Lal Bazar and Kralkhud police station areas to maintain law and order in the city.

A Hurriyat (Mirwaiz) spokesman said that huge contingents of police were deployed outside the houses of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Shahid-ul-Islam and others. Hurriyat leaders, according to the spokesman, were informed that they were placed under house arrest.

Talking to TOI over phone, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the state government cannot stop the separatists to pursue their goal of getting the Kashmir issue settled. "The state authorities imposed curfew and deployed forces in every nook and corner of the Valley to thwart the laying of foundation of martyrs' memorial wall at Eidgah today," Mirwaiz said.

Schools and educational institutions were closed for the day in the Valley.