Geelani, Shabir still under house arrest in Kashmir

Srinagar, Apr 24: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmed Shah continued to be under house arrest today.

While Mr Geelani was put under house arrest on Saturday, Mr Shah is under house arrest from Friday morning. The step was taken to prevent them from addressing anti-election rallies in the three Assembly constituencies of Pattan, Sangrama and Rafiabad in north Kashmir's Baramulla district where bypolls are being held today.

A spokesman of the HC said a strong posse of police had been deployed outside Mr Geelani's Hyderpora residence since Saturday morning.

A police officer informed Mr Geelani that he could not leave his home.

Mr Shah told UNI over the phone that he was under house arrest since Friday morning.

''I am not being allowed to leave my Rawalpora residence,'' he said.

He said the DFP was not against holding elections which would help forward movement on the Kashmir issue.

''However, we do not want to participate in election which are just for ruling the state without addressing the core issue... we will join the process only when it is to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue for which more than one lakh people have sacrificed their lives.

Mr Shah said elections were being held in the state since 1947 without any breakthrough on the Kashmir issue. ''Elected or selected governments come and go but the Kashmir remained unsettled issue between India, Pakistan and the people of the state,'' he said.

He said the time had come to resolve the Kashmir issue once and for all with the involvement of all the three parties.

UNI

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