Yasin Malik detained, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest

Srinagar: JKLF chief Yasin Malik was today detained while moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest to prevent them from attending a programme here to pay homage to the 12th Mirwaiz of undivided Kashmir on his 50th death anniversary.

Malik was taken into preventive custody from party office at Abi Guzar locality in the heart of the city, ahead of his visit to Eidgah locality in downtown Srinagar.

He was scheduled to take part in a programme to pay homage to Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Yousuf Shah, a religious scholar who was the first to interpret the holy Quran in Kashmiri language.

Shah, who went into exile in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947, died on December 12, 1968 at Rawalpandi but his death anniversary is commemorated in accordance with Islamic lunar calendar on 17th day of the holy month of Ramzan.

The separatists had planned a programme at Aali Masjid to commemorate the 50th death anniversary of Shah who served two terms as the PoK president in 1952 and 1956. He had also served as an education minister there.

The moderate Hurriyat Chairman was placed under house arrest last night and was not allowed to visit Aali Masjid today to attend the meeting.

Prior to his arrest, Malik said, "Every peaceful political activity has been banned and this suppression is taking an extremely ugly turn as condolences meetings, social programs and even personal meetings between two people are being halted and barred by police."