Shabir Shah arrested alongwith 40 supporters in Srinagar

Srinagar, June 26 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah was today arrested alongwith his about 40 supporters near here, official sources said.

They said Mr Shah alongwith his supporters took to streets at Naaz crossing in protest against alleged Human Rights (HR) violation and plight of detenues languishing in different jails in and outside the state for years without any trial.

As Mr Shah and his supporters, heading towards the civil Secretariat, reached near Exhibition grounds police resorted to cane charge to disperse them.

Later he and about 40 of his supporters were put in waiting police vehicles and detained in police station Shergrahi.

A spokesman for the DFP said it was a peaceful procession to lodge protest against the alleged continued HR violation by the security forces.

He said the alleged HR violations, particularly killings of innocent persons by security forces, have increased after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement of Zero tolerance for HR violations at the end of the second round table conference here.

He said the Confidence Building Measures (CBM) taken by the India and Pakistan to improve their relations and trade has not changed the ground situation in Kashmir.

The Spokesman demanded immediate release of detenues who are in jails for years without any trail.

UNI BAS VA DB1204