Mirwaiz, half a dozen other leaders put under house arrest

Srinagar, Oct 5 (UNI) Chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and half a dozen other leaders of the amalgam were put under house arrest since early this morning.

The move was aimed to prevent them from attending the ''Lal Chowk Chalo'' march tomorrow, call for which was been given by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading the present agitation in the Kashmir valley.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the HC and other separatist groups, trade and lawyers organisations is demanding among other things opening of cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade, release of all detenues and withdrawal of troops and special powers to security forces.

Official sources said a large number of the CRPF and police personnel had been posted outside the Nigeen residence of the Mirwaiz early this morning.

He was informed that he could not move out of his house since he had been put under the house arrest, they said.

The other leaders who were also put under house arrest included former chairmen of the HC Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Abbas Ansari, and Aga Syed Hassan Al Mousvi and Bilal Gani Lone.

Mirwaiz remained under house arrest almost throughout the month of holy Ramzan. He was arrested for about a week for the first time in his life on August 24, when he had announced to participate in the ''Lal Chowk Chalo march'' on August 25 when entire valley was put under curfew.

UNI BAS GT AS1541