JKLF chairman Yaseen Malik arrested in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 5 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was arrested in south Kashmir this afternoon, a day before he was scheduled to begin the statewide 'safar-e-azadi' (journey for independence) campaign from Anantnag district tomorrow.

A spokesman of the JKLF, Ashraf Bin-Salam, told UNI Mr Malik and other senior members of the front, including vice-chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Shakeel Bakshi and Mushtaq Ajmal, had reached Kokernag to start the journey tomorrow.

He said a large number of JKLF supporters from different parts of the state had also gathered there to join the journey.

The spokesman said a police party arrested Mr Malik for ''unknown reasons'' though the party had declared that the journey would be ''peaceful''.

Mr Malik and his colleagues were to start the journey from Daksum and Kokernag areas of south Kashmir and then to move on across the Kashmir valley.

The journey is part of the JKLF's campaign -- ''Peace in South Asia: Kashmir first and Kashmiri first'' -- to make efforts to resolve the vexed issue in the state and seek the inclusion of the people of Kashmir in the ongoing peace and reconciliation process.

Mr Malik and his colleagues would undertake the journey in a specially-designed vehicle which had been sent from here, Salam said.

UNI