'Hanging of Guru will be another mistake'

Srinagar, Sept 30: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani today urged the Centre not to commit ''another mistake'' by hanging yet another Kashmiri youth Afzal Guru.

''The hanging of Guru, prime accused in the December 13 Parliament attack, on October 20, will further complicate the situation in Kashmir valley where more than one lakh people have been killed during the past 17 years of freedom struggle,'' Mr Geelani said at a press conference at HC headquarters after his release from two days house arrest.

Claiming Guru was not given the opportunity to defend himself in the court against the fabricated charges, he said Guru himself was not satisfied with the trial.

''If the centre goes ahead with the proposed hanging of Guru on October 20, it will be yet another mistake after the hanging of Mohmmad Maqbool Bhat in Delhi's Tihar Jail on February 11,1984. Mr Geelani said, adding even the body of Bhat was not handed over to his family members by the jail authorities.

Mr Geelani said the resentment and concern expressed by the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the Delhi Court's order should be enough to open the eyes of the centre.

He thanked the people for the general strike yesterday and appealed to them not to observe any hartal in future without the call of HC.

About the Kashmir issue, Mr Geelani said the vexed issue could be resolved only by implementing the United Nations (UN) resolutions or through plebiscite.

He criticised the security forces for committing ''human rights'' violations to supress the freedom struggle in the state.

UNI

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