Thousands offer prayers for disappeared Kashmiris

Srinagar, Apr 11 (UNI) Thousands of people today offered prayers in different mosques in the valley for more than 5000 Kashmiris who allegedly went missing from custody during the past 18 years.

The main prayer meeting was held at Jamia Masjid, led by Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz) Chief Moulvi Omar Farooq where people offered ''Gaybana Nimaz Jinazah'' to the Kashmiris who allegedly had been missing after their arrest by different security agencies since 1990.

Mirwaiz Omar condemned the custodial disappearance of Kashmiris.

He demanded that the family members of those disappeared be given whereabouts of them.

Shops and business establishments in and around the masjid were closed in protest against the custodial disappearance in the valley.

Later, about two hundred people took to streets, raising slogans against security forces.

They were also demanding the whereabouts of Siraj Uddin Misgar, brother-in-law of Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar alias Mushtaq Latram.

Misgar went missing after his arrest in 1992 from the house of Latram at Saraf Kadal in the down town.

Latram, heading Al-Umar Mujahideen militant outfit, was one of the four militants, who were released in exchange of Indian Airlines passengers hijacked at Khandhar, Afghanistan.

UNI BAS SW GC1712