Hurriyat Chairman put under house arrest in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jun 1: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani was today put under house arrest, official sources said.

They said Mr Geelani was directed not to leave his Hyderpora residence till further orders by a senior police officer.

Aiyaz Akbar, spokesman of the HC told the sources that a large number of Jammu and Kashmir police personnel had been deployed outside the house of Mr Geelani to prevent him to move out.

He said a senior police officer informed the Hurriyat Chairman at 1045 hrs that he had been put under house arrest following orders from the higher authorities.

''We cannot do anything as we have orders not to allow you to leave the house till further orders,'' the officer told Mr Geelani.

Mr Akbar said there was no political programme of Mr Geelani for the day today.

However, he said, Mr Geelani was to attend a religious seminar at Barzulla in the uptown where ten top students of all tehsils of Srinagar district were to read their papers on the life and teachings of Prophet Mohammad.

Describing the house arrest of Mr Geelani as direct interference in the religious matters, Mr Akbar said the seminar had nothing to do with politicis or on going freedom movement in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said such seminars were being held in Kupwara, Baramulla, Kulgam, Anantnag and other places for the past three months.

UNI