‘Million March’ welcome development: Geelani

Expressing satisfaction over, what he said, the success of the today’s shutdown call and “Kashmir Million March” in London, the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani said; “The Kashmir issue is gaining popularity in and outside the state and a public opinion is building for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.”
“The October 27 successful shutdown should serve an eye-opener and referendum for New Delhi and its collaborators in the state. The Indian rulers should shun their rigid and stubborn approach, accept ground realities and provide Kashmiris the opportunity to decide their future,” Geelani said in a statement today.
Expressing satisfaction over the success of the “London Million March,” Geelani termed it a welcome development that the world community understands the pain of Kashmiris and is coming out in support of their demand for right to self-determination. “London Million March is a right move at right time and this process should continue in future also. The government of Britain should listen to the voices of the people and they should raise this issue with the Indian government. Since England has played a key role in the creation of Kashmir dispute, it is the moral responsibility of its rulers to use their influence for holding the referendum in Kashmir on the pattern of Scotland,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) Jammu Kashmir has expressed serious concern over the house-arrest its general secretary Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and detention of other leaders besides police raids on the residences of the Hurriyat leaders. It has also expressed concern over the continued detention of Hurriyat leader Amir Hamza and his shifting to an unknown location. It has condemned the arrest of tehsil president Rouhama, Baramulla, Bilal Ahmad.
“TeH is peacefully running its political activities and there is no moral and legal justification insuppressing its political activities through the state power. The police on Sunday evening placed under house the general secretary Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, the district president Srinagar Raja Mehraj-ud-din and Dr G M Ganai while residences of district president Bandipora Rayees Ahamad Mir, district president Shopian Shakeel Ahamad Yattoo and the other activists are being continuously raided,” said the TeH spokesman in a statement today, adding that “the Hurriyat leader Amir Hamza was arrested on October 18, 2013 and since then he is being moved from one jail to another and during this period he has been slapped two PSAs. Now when his second PSA was also quashed by the state High Court, he is still not being released and today he has been shifted to some unknown place.