Hurriyat calls for four-day mourning for Afzal Guru

Srinagar: Moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday announced four-day mourning on the death of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged this morning following his conviction in the Parliament attack case.

"We call on people to observe four-day mourning on the hanging of Guru. A complete shutdown will be observed over the mourning period," Shahidul Islam, spokesman of the amalgam, told PTI. Hurriyat also demands immediate return of the mortal remains of Guru so that he can be given a burial according to his family`s wishes and as per Islamic rituals, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led hardline Hurriyat Conference Ayaz Akbad was taken into preventive custody by police in the wee hours today. "Akbar was arrested by police at 5.00 am and taken to an unknown location," his son said. All the senior separatist leaders including Geelani, Mirwaiz and JKLF leader Mohammad Yasin Malik are presently out of the Valley and could not be reached for a comment. PTI