Geelani still under house arrest

Srinagar, Jun 4: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani continued to remainbe under house arrest since Sunday to prevent him from attending the 24th anniversary of Operation Blue Star at Amritsar. Official sources said the Chairman has been asked not to leave his Hyderpora house till further orders.

A spokesman of the HC Aiyaz Akbar told the sources a large number of police personnel remained deployed outside his house, since Sunday evening.The amalgam chairman was scheduled to fly to Delhi and later travel by train to Amrtisar on May 2 to attend the anniversary being held today. Mr Akbar said a senior police officer from Humhama police station informed the Chairman that he had been put under house arrest and and could not leave the Valley. This is for the first time that the Hurriyat chairman was not allowed to visit another state.

Geelani was scheduled to attend a seminar organised by Dal Khalsa on the 24th anniversary of Operation Blue Star on Golden Temple at Amritsar on this day in 1982. Mr Akbar said the Chairman was invited by Dal Khalsa president Kanwar Paul Singh as the chief guest.

UNI