Stop indiscriminate arrests, release detenues or face court arrest

Srinagar, Sep 8 (UNI) Threatening to launch a Jail Baro agitation in the Kashmir valley if indiscriminate arrests of those who participated in recent ''pro-freedom processions'' were not stopped immediately, the chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference(HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq said this will not help the authorities to crash the freedom movement.

I have been put under house arrest for the past one week and I am not being allowed to offer Friday prayers during this holy month of Ramzan, Mirwaiz Omar told a news conference at his Nigeen house where a large number of police and CRPF personnel remained deployed outside.

He alleged that hundreds of people, mostly youths, who took part in recent peaceful pro-freedom processionists, were being arrested and harassed by the security forces and police across the Kashmir valley.

''We have warned the authorities to stop such indiscriminate arrests immediately or we will start jail baro agitation,'' he said.

Mirwaiz said more than 20 lakh people participated in recent rallies in the Kashmir valley. ''If the government wanted to arrest us let us start a jail baro tehreek.'' The Hurriyat Chairman said we have been demanding release of all detenues, but instead hundreds more are being put behind the bar for merely participated in the peaceful processions.

Mirwaiz Omar said senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) for the reason that he played a vital role in the reunification of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference.

''We came to know he is being shifted to Kathua jail,'' he said and warned ''if anything happens to Mr Shah and others, government will be responsible for it.'' Strongly condemning the CRPF and police action on unarmed and peaceful processionists in the valley, he said no such action was taken in Jammu where the Hindu agitators torched government buildings, police stations and looted ATMs in presence of Army and other security agencies.

Mirwaiz said Kashmiri drivers and Muslim gujjars were attacked and their property looted in Jammu.

Reacting to the statement of National Security Advisor (NSA) that Sheikh Abdul Aziz was killed by unidentified gunmen during Muzaffarabad chalo march in north Kashmir, Mirwaiz said we have eyewitnessed that he was killed by security forces.

UNI BAS AKJ KN1814