Lakhs attend Hurriyat public meeting in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 18 (UNI) Lakhs of people from all parts of the Kashmir valley today attended the march to United Nations Military Observers (UNMO) office here on a call given by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading the agitation against alleged economic blockade, attack on Muslims and Kashmiri drivers in Jammu.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), traders, lawyers and others, has however, asked people to gather at Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) park near the UNMO office, where senior separatist leader, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq will address them before presenting a memorandum to UNMO officials.

All roads led to the TRC park since early this morning as people from different parts of the city were trying to occupy the space near the dias to have closer view of the separatist leaders, who had started reaching there after 1130 hrs.

Thousands of people in trucks, buses and other small vehicles arrived the venue from almost all district and tehsil headquarters besides other far flung and remote areas.

The TRC park, Moulanaz Azad road, Residency road, Dalgate road, Bonabagh and other adjoining areas were full of people, raising pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans.

Locals were distributing food, fruits and sweat water among the processionists.

However, CRPF personnel, including those from Mahala batallions deployed at several places, did not stop the slogan-shouting processionists.

This was for the first time that such a big public meeting was held in the city after more than two decades.

Chairmen of the HC Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Democratic Freedom Party chirman Shabir Ahmad Shah and other separatist leaders including Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Javid Ahmad Mir reached the TRC in processions from their respective areas.

UNI BAS AKJ CS1425