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Srinagar, Jun 20: Hundreds of supporters of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) jointly protested against the transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and opening of liquor shops in the valley.

They also appealed people to boycott the general assembly elections being held later this year.

This was for the first time both the faction of the HC jointly took out a procession after more than four years of separation. This, was however possible after a six-hour-long meeting between HC (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani and chairman of another faction of HC (M) chiarman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq yesterday.

Led by Chairman of breakaway HC Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan from moderate HC, hundreds of supporters took out a procession from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) immediately after Friday prayers were over.

The processionists, raising pro-freedom and Pakistan and anti government and Shrine Board slogans, went in a procession upto busy Dalgate main chowk where Mr Geelani addressed them.

Mr Geelani said transfer of forest land to SASB was a deep rooted conspiracy against the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the HC has already formed a committee to fight against this conspiracy.

Mr Geelani criticised the opening of liquor shops and demanded their immediate closure.

He appealed to people to boycott the general assembly elections being held later this year. He said election or selection would not help to resolve the Kashmir issue for which more than one lakh people have made supreme sacrifices since 1947.

He said the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue once for all was to implement the United Nations (UN) resolutions.

UNI