Geelani calls for strike in Valley

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, has called for a general strike in the Valley against his arrest on Saturday.

The strike has been also called against the arrest of a Sopore girl in a militancy-related case and attempt by the police to arrest Geelani during a public meeting in south Kashmir on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday refused to comment on Fai’s arrest. “Please do not drag me into this controversy. No comments please,” he said when the media asked him about Fai’s arrest.

However, senior leader of the ruling National Conference and MP, Sharief-u-Din Shariq, said the arrest of Fai has exposed those elements who are amassing wealth in the name of Kashmiris.

“Such people have no sympathy towards Kashmir and they are also exploiting the name of Islam,” the NC leader said.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, strongly condemned the arrest of Fai.

“Fai was not involved in any illegal activity,” he told reporters after meeting spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shanker here.

Mirwaiz said there was nothing wrong in him attending the seminars organised by Fai in America. “Despite the campaign launched by some vested interests against me after Fai’s arrest, I will continue my efforts for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he said.

It is just tip of the iceberg, claims BJP

The BJP on Thursday demanded a thorough probe into the links of Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabi Fai, arrested by the FBI on Tuesday on charges of receiving hundreds and thousands of dollars from the ISI and using them for lobbying at the Capitol Hill, PTI reports from Jammu.

“The arrest of Fai for being an agent of Pakistan ISI is simply the tip of the iceberg,” said BJP national executive member Jitendra Singh. He alleged “several politicians, activists and scribes have been on pay roll of foreign agencies for their anti-India activities and this calls for a thorough probe.”