Geelani, Shabir and four others put under house arrest in Kashmir

Srinagar, Apr 27 (UNI) The breakaway Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and four other senior leaders of the amalgam and head of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah have been put under house arrest in the valley.

The separatist leaders were to lead demonstrations in the city after Friday prayers in protest against the alleged demolishing of an ancient mosque in the premises of Hari Parbat Fort, also known as Kooh-e-Maran, overlooking the Srinagar.

However, the officials have denied that the mosque has been demolished.

Official sources said the leaders were put under house arrest as a precautionary measure.

A spokesman of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) Aiyaz Akbar told UNI that a large number of state police personnel surrounded the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani early this morning.

Later, a senior officer informed ailing HC chairman that he cannot leave his house till further orders.

We have orders not to allow him to go out, the officer said.

He said other HC leaders who have been put under house arrest included Sahrahi, Peer Abdul Rashid, Dr Ghulam Mohammad and Mohammad Ashraf Laya.

Mr Akbar said a large number of police personnel have been deployed outside the residence of these leaders to prevent them to move out.

Mr Akbar said HC has given a call for peaceful demonstrations after Friday prayers outside all mosques in protest against the demolishing of the mosque.

Condeming the house arrest of HC leaders, he said people of Kashmir will not tolerate demolishing of historic mosque in the area which was under the control of security forces for the past 17 years.

Mr Shah told UNI over phone from his residence that about a dozen state police personnel have been deployed outside his Rawalpora residence since 0400 hours.

''I was informed by an officer that I cannot even go out to offer Friday prayers in a local mosque,'' he said adding it was to prevent the people to lodge their protest against the demolistion of a mosque.

He said government has already denied that the mosque has been demolished. However, he said, ''let the government allow us see what is truth as newspaper and other reports said it has been demolished.'' Mr Shah said he was to lead peaceful demonstration in the city after the Friday prayers.

The breakaway HC and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of Faith) of Asiya Andrabi have urged the people to launch a massive statewide but peaceful agitation against the alleged demolition.

UNI