Srinagar, May 21 (KNO) : The ban on holding a rally at the martyr’s graveyard Eidgah today completed a decade as last procession led by Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to pay tributes to his father Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and other martyrs of Kashmir struggle, was allowed in 2009.
Today, amid a complete shutdown in Srinagar to mark the day of “martyrdom (Shahadat)” of Mirwaiz Farooq and Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone, the authorities imposed strict restrictions in several parts of downtown Srinagar to foil the Joint Resistance Leadership’s Eidgah march to commemorate the day.
Witnesses told KNO that since early morning, police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength in the old city. “Barricades using concertina wires were laid on roads and all routes leading to Eidgah, which houses the martyrs’ graveyard of Srinagar, were sealed,” they said. According to AAC sources, last rally to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Mirwaiz Farooq was held in 2009 and since then all the regimes have been disallowed the procession even though “we have been giving guarantee that rally will remain peaceful.”
Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq was killed on May 21, 1990, while Abdul Gani Lone was killed on May 21, 2002, both of them by unidentified gunmen.
The district administration formally imposed restrictions in areas under the jurisdiction of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal police stations. Witnesses told KNO that huge contingents of forces on roads to ensure no major rally or protest takes place.
“At many places, barbed wires were placed on roads to ensure no major gathering or a protest march takes place,” eye-witnesses told KNO. “All roads leading to martyrs graveyard Eidgah were sealed by the government forces and nobody was allowed to move towards it.”
Witnesses said that all markets and private offices in Srinagar remained shut and public transport was off the roads as part of the shutdown to commemorate the day. Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Monday evening to prevent him from leading a protest march to Eidgah. Other Hurriyat (M) leaders Engineer Hilal War and others were also placed under house detention.
On May 21, 1990, Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq was killed, a huge procession carrying his coffin was fired upon by Border Security Force (BSF) troops at Hawal in Srinagar. The firing killed 61 civilians. Dozens others suffered injuries. The fate probe ordered into the killing of Mirwaiz continues to hang in balance.(KNO)