Geelani for army withdrawal from Tosa Maidan

‘Make entire area ammunition-free zone’

Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani on Monday demanded withdrawal of army from Tosa Maidan and making the entire area an ammunition-free zone.
“May 19 incident in which an innocent girl Simran lost her life and another boy Fayaz Ahmad his limbs, has proved that innocent people will continue to lose their precious lives until the whole area is checked and searched by bomb disposal squads and the unexploded shells are properly disposed off,” Geelani said in a statement, terming the presence of army firing range and ammunition in civilian areas as a clear violation of international laws and agreements.
Drawing the attention of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to this grave problem, Geelani appealed him to impress upon New Delhi to fulfill their responsibilities of properly disposing off unexploded shells.
“Although the Hurriyat is demanding demilitarization of entire Jammu and Kashmir but the presence of army camps and firing ranges in or near civilian areas is a serious issue which needs to be immediately addressed. Due to the war-like situation in and around Tosa Maidan area, people’s social life is severely affected,” Geelani said.