Geelani calls for shutdown on Friday

Srinagar, Nov 22: Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a complete shutdown on Friday, November 25, against the continued detention of political prisoners and 50 minors, the arrest spree in Sopore, Islamabad and Srinagar, and the “torture” of pro-freedom leaders at Kotbalwal and Amphala jails.
According to a statement issued here on Monday, during a meeting, the amalgam’s majlis-shoora (advisory council) unanimously decided that it cannot remain silent over these issues, particularly the “torture of political prisoners at Kotbalwal and Amphala jails.”
“It was decided that the Hurriyat will file a writ petition in the High Court seeking action against Rajni Sehgal of Kotbalawal and Mr. Vinod of Amphala jail for torturing political prisoners,” the statement said, adding that several leaders “who have themselves been victims of these two officers were ready to depose before the court.”
The shoora meeting chaired by Geelani also discussed the government’s strategy to prolong the detention of political prisoners by not producing them before courts, the statement said. “Wrapping up the debate, Geelani sahib observed that India had deliberately posted officers like Rajni Sehgal and Mr. Vinod in these jails to break the will of Kashmiri pro-freedom leaders through physical and mental torture. He also said that the ill-treatment meted out to political prisoners has badly exposed the hollow democratic claims of India,” the statement added.
Geelani said that on one hand India was aspiring to become a permanent member of UN Security Council but on the other it continued to hold Kashmir through its military power and violate human rights in the region.
“India must realize that it cannot keep Kashmir with it for too long by military power and sooner or later it will have to start a concrete political process to resolve the issue,” he said.
-KDNN