Despite the attacks at his residence on Monday, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he was going ahead with his trip to Pakistan, adding that the attack was 'a salute' on their journey.
"We will go to Pakistan and will continue to pursue the peace and dialogue process involving India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir and we will bring about a solution as per the aspirations of the people, "he told Hindustan Times within minutes of the attack.
"Those thinking that such attacks can deter us from our path, for which we have full backing of the people, are living in fools’ paradise. They should know times have changed and gone are the days when such attacks were used as a strategy to scare people to enforce general strikes."
Terrorists had lobbed a rifle grenade towards his Nageen residence in Hazratbal area in Srinagar around noon. No one was injured in the attack, which has come two days ahead of the general strike call given by hardline faction Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to protest against moderate Hurriyat Conference’s visit to Pakistan.
"I am not frightened nor such attacks would deter me and my team from pursuing the process, "he said. Mirwaiz said that he knew the "people behind the attacks. We know their intentions. These are the same very people who want to enforce a general strike on Wednesday by frightening the people.” This was a clear hint toward Geelani and his acolytes opposed to the peace process and visit of moderates to Pakistan..
{{/usCountry}}"I am not frightened nor such attacks would deter me and my team from pursuing the process, "he said. Mirwaiz said that he knew the "people behind the attacks. We know their intentions. These are the same very people who want to enforce a general strike on Wednesday by frightening the people.” This was a clear hint toward Geelani and his acolytes opposed to the peace process and visit of moderates to Pakistan..
{{/usCountry}}"Now this scare strategy will not work," he said in his hotel room where he and his colleagues,including former APHC chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, and Shia leader Syed Agha Hassan, Nayeem Khan were preparing to leave for the airport on their way to Delhi for their onward journey to Pakistan.
The Mirwaiz said that he is prepared for any situation. "We have seen it before", he said recalling the assassination of his father Moulvi Mohammad Farooq. His father was killed by gun men in his study room at the Nageen residence on May 1990. His uncle Mushtaq Ahmad was hot dead in May 2004- when his faction of the Hurriyat Conference had already started dialogue with the NDA government and was mulling over resumption of dialogue with the UPA government. His house was also attacked by the rocket propelled grenades and threats were held out to him. The threat was also held out to him in June last year.
"We will continue to face such situations in future too. “ Let this be clear to one and all. We will not be cowed down by such fear generating tactics."
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