Hurriyat faction leader behind stone-pelting protests

An activist of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference has alleged that his organisation was involved in organising and funding stone pelting in the Kashmir valley.

Shabir Ahmed Wani of Narbal in Central Kashmir was arrested last week after security agencies had intercepted his telephonic conversation with Ghulam Mohammed Dar, a former Hizbul Mujahideen militant and now district president of Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

According to Wani's interrogation report, prepared by security agencies, he told the interrogators that Hurriyat organised the public protests and also spent money to motivate many of the youth in the forefront of such protests.

The agencies claim that Wani had confirmed that he had spoken to Dar last Wednesday during which the latter had suggested that at least 10 to 15 people should get "martyred" during a procession in the Budgam district.

"He (Dar) is the district president of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and before this he was a militant of Hizbul Mujahideen and was also known as Wasim Allahpuri," Wani told the interrogators.

The reaction of Geelani or any of his top aides could not not be obtained since most of them have been placed under arrest and some others have gone into hiding.

As for Dar, he has been missing ever since the transcript of his conversation with Wani became public. Police is believed to have carried out a number of raids in search of him.