Mirwaiz Hurriyat calls for complete shutdown

Srinagar, May 20: The moderate Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has called for a general strike in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to observe the death anniversaries of assassinated leaders Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone.

The moderate Hurriyat Conference is observing a martyrdom week in Kashmir from May 16-21 in memory of the assassinated leaders.

The Mirwaiz-led Awami Action Committee (AAC) also organised various programmes from May 16 to mark the 17th death anniversary of its founder (Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq).

In a statement, AAC spokesman Shahid-ul-Islam said a workers' rally would be organised in memory of the late Mirwaiz at the AAC headquarters here today.

''There will be complete shutdown in memory of the assassinated leaders tomorrow. A public rally will also be organised at the martyrs' graveyard at the Eidgah grounds here tomorrow,'' he added.

On May 21, 1990, unidentified gunmen assassinated Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, the father of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, at his Nigeen residence here.

And on May 21, 2002, Peoples Conference chairman and senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone fell to the bullets of unidentified gunmen at a rally held at Eidgah grounds in old city to mark the 12th death anniversary of the late Mirwaiz.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Conference would also observe the fifth death anniversary of its founder-chairman here on May 22.

Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Ghani Lone would address a rally here on May 22 to mark the death anniversary of his assassinated father.

On May 21 last year, ''fidayeen (members of a suicide squad)'' attacked a rally organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee to mark the 15th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Sher-i-Kashmir Municipal Park here.

Three civilians, two policemen and as many fidayeen were killed in the two-hour-long gun-battle which broke out minutes before Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was scheduled to arrive at the public meeting.

At least 22 people, including the then Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, K Rajendra Kumar, were also wounded in the attack, the responsibility of which was claimed by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Al Mansoorian militant outfits.

UNI