Mirwaiz placed under house arrest in Srinagar

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairperson of the moderate faction of Jammu and Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat Conference, was placed under house arrest on Monday, a day before the group has called for a march to the Eidgah here.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairperson of the moderate faction of Jammu and Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat Conference, was placed under house arrest on Monday, a day before the group has called for a march to the Eidgah here.

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The Mirwaiz's movements have been restricted to maintain law and order, a police official said.

The moderate Hurriyat group has called for a march to the martyrs' graveyard in Eidgah area to commemorate the death anniversaries of Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq (the Mirwaiz's father) and Abdul Gani Lone.

While unidentified gunmen killed Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq in his Nigeen residence on May 21, in 1990, Lone was killed during a separatist rally in Srinagar city on May 21, in 2002.

Sources in the state administration said that the proposed separatist march would not be allowed keeping in view the past experience.

"Such marches and rallies have often turned violent in the past. We will not take any chances with the law and order situation in the city or elsewhere in the state", a top official said.