Pak condemns assassination attempt on moderate Hurriyat leader

Pakistan today condemned the assassination attempt on moderate separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, who was in a critical condition after being shot at in Kashmir.

"We strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Fazal Haq Qureshi, a senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader in Srinagar yesterday and pray for his well being," the foreign office said in a statement.

Qureshi, who heads the Peoples Political Front, was fired from point blank range by militants last evening outside a mosque by militants of Al-Nasreen outfit while he was returning home after offering evening prayers. The attack on 65-year-old moderate face of the Hurriyat is being seen as an attempt to sabotage peace talks.

Condemning the attack, Hurriyat conference today said it will not be cowed down by such acts and will pursue the path of dialogue for resolving the Kashmir problem.

 "We want to inform all those elements that the Hurriyat Conference will not be cowed down by such attacks. We will not retreat (from the talks)," Hurriyat conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said. Another separatist leader Yasin Malik also condemned the "inhuman, brutal" attack.