Geelani, Shabir placed under house arrest,Yaseen arrested in Kashm

Srinagar, Sep 15 (UNI) Breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah were placed under house arrest while Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKJLF) Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik was arrested along with 20 others in the Kashmir valley today.

Geelani, who was re-elected Chairman of the HC for three years on Wednesday, was placed under house arrest in his Hyderpora residence since early this morning, sources said.

Spokesman for HC Aiyaz Akbar told UNI that a large number of police personnel have been deployed outside the house of Geelani to prevent him from moving out.

A police officer informed Geelani that he had been placed under house arrest and he could not go out of his house till further orders, he said.

Mr Akbar further said Geelani was scheduled to address Friday congregation at Hajon today.

He was also scheduled to lead a protest demonstration against the alleged atrocities by the counter insurgents working with security forces, particularly the late Ikhwani leader Kuka Parry's son.

Shah told UNI over phone from his Rawalpora residence that a large number of police personnel had been deployed outside his house since early this morning.

He said a senior police officer informed him that he could not leave his residence as he was placed under house arrest.

Shah was scheduled to lead a peaceful demonstration against the statement of Pope Benedict XVI in the city here.

He said the Pope should apologise to Muslims for his remarks against the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

''It was unfortunate that the state administration has put me under house arrest though it had nothing to do with politics,'' he said, adding no Muslim ''can tolerate any remarks'' against the Prophet.

A report from Baramulla said Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik and 20 others were arrested by the police at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara this afternoon, official sources said.

They said Malik was addressing a public meeting at the Handwara chowk when police swung into action and resorted to a mild lathicharge to quell the crowd.

A few people reportedly received minor injuries in the police action. Later, Malik and 20 others were detained in a local police station.

Earlier, addressing the meeting, he alleged that Human Rights violations were going on without any check.

Criticising the authorities, the JKLF chief alleged that youth were being killed in fake encounters, tortured and harassed in detention centres by security forces.

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