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Stay home, separatists told
The police in Jammu & Kashmir have asked moderate separatist leaders to restrict their movements.
The police in Jammu & Kashmir have asked moderate separatist leaders to restrict their movements.
This follows the assassination attempt on pro-dialogue Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, a close ally of the chairman of the moderate wing of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Qureshi is also an executive member of the Hurriyat.
On Monday, senior police officers visited the residences of several separatist leaders, instructing them to reduce their movements.
“We were asked by the local superintendent of police and deputy inspector general to limit our visits outside our residences and only move when it’s urgent,” said Shahid-ul-Islam, a leader of the moderate faction of the APHC. He was attacked by unidentified gunmen at Dalgate a few years ago.
Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai is scheduled to visit Jammu & Kashmir on December 11 to review the situation after the attack on Qureshi.
It has been learnt that there are threats of attacks on four senior leaders of the moderate faction of the APHC: People’s Conference Chairman Bilal Lone, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yaseen Malik, Muslim Conference Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat and Itehad-ul-Muslimeen head Moulana Abbas Ansari.
“There is constant potential threat to some separatist leaders. We are not going to disclose their names,” Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmad said.
Ahmad said a review of the security of the four leaders was under way. “Once the report is submitted, the security enhancement of the separatists will be made,” said Ahmad.
Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Shah has, however, rejected the authorities’ offer to provide him a ring of security. “I have decided to be in the security of the Almighty Allah,” Shah told Hindustan Times.