Kashmir shuts on Sheikh’s death anniversary

The normal life in Kashmir was paralysed on Tuesday by the strike call given by Hurriyat Conference on the first death anniversary of Sheikh Abdul Aziz while authorities placed most of the separatist leaders and activists under house arrest to prevent them from moving towards the Pampore residence of the slain leader, who was killed on August 11, 2008 in Uri. All shops and business establishments in City and other parts of Valley remained closed while traffic was off the roads. The government and semi-government offices, banks and educational institutions remained locked.
The authorities had placed almost all the top separatist leaders and activists including Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Agha Hassan Budgami, Bilal Lone, Shahid ul Islam, Zamrooda Habib and others under house arrest. Most of them were not allowed to offer special prayers at martyrs’ graveyard Eidgah.
The strength of police and paramilitary personnel in Srinagar was increased on Tuesday to prevent the separatist leaders from moving towards the Pampore residence of slain Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz. Aziz was killed in firing on protestors marching towards Muzaffarabad at Trichal, Uri on August 11, 2008.
The authorities also imposed security restrictions in several parts of the old city to prevent youth from taking to roads and staging pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations.
However, some locals of Eidgah along with Peoples League chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Mohammad Ashraf Vaid visited martyrs graveyard and offered Fateh Khawani. They paid floral tributes to Sheikh Aziz and others killed during land row last year. “Aziz sacrificed his life for a cause and we offered prayers to remember the great son of the soil,” said Shakeel Ahmed of Eidgah.
Although separatist leaders could not visit Pampore because of restrictions, the locals frequented the residence of Aziz throughout the day. “He was representative of our aspirations and made all of us proud. He was brave and never cared about consequences,” said a local resident Sheikh Mustafa.
PL chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Mohammad Ashraf Vaid, Ghulam Qadir Rah and others were detained at Pampore police station while Sheikh Abdul Rashid was arrested and detained in Police station Rajbagh.
Yasmeena Raja was arrested by police on way to Pampore while Zafar Akbar Bhat along with several members was arrested near Qamarwari when they were heading towards martyrs graveyard Eidgah.
Police also raided the Hurriyat (M) Rajbagh headquarters and detained Manan Bukhari, Ghulam Nabi Waseem, Ghulam Nabi Zaki and few others in Rajbagh police station.
A Hurriyat (M) spokesman has strongly condemned the police action.