PSA invoked as Hurriyat leaders were instigating youth: Government
Two senior leaders of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference were arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA) as they were instigating youths to disturb peace in the valley.
The Jammu and Kashmir government today said two senior leaders of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference were arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA) as they were instigating youths to indulge in stone-throwing and disturb peace in the valley.PSA was invoked against Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan because their activities were highly prejudicial tomaintenance of security of the state, says a dossier issued bydistrict magistrate, Srinagar.Shah, president of Democratic Freedom Party and Khan, whoheads National Front, were among over 100 youths arrested bypolice in a major crackdown across the valley in the first week of the month following violent protests against the killing of 13-year-old Wamik Farooq in teargas shelling at Rajouri Kadal in interior city on January 31.The PSA was invoked against Shah and Khan on Friday. It said Shah and Khan have been advocating the cause of secessionism recently by launching campaigns aimed atpropagating their ideology and inciting the youth to createlaw and order problem."The most common tool used by the secessionists to disrupt peace has been to instigate youth to resort to stone hurling. Investigations have revealed that the secessionists including you (Shah and Khan) have been working behind the scene to organise the stone-throwing incidents," the dossier said.Shah arrested under PSA on many occasions earlier also, has been found involved in disturbing public order. They were found to be on the forefront of organising violent protests even during the 2008 Amarnath land row, the dossier said. "You continue to do so even today and indulge in anti-national activities. This new strategy is highly prejudicial to maintenance of security besides endangering human life and property."Quoting the statements of Shah and Khan, the dossier said they had been even discrediting police versions saying that the militants were sacrificing their lives for secession of the state."Intelligence reports have revealed that while defending the activities of militants you ask youths to come on roads and resort to stone-throwing which has been going on in Srinagar city and other towns of the valley."Meanwhile, Hurriyat condemned the detention and said "such coercive steps can't break the commitment of the amalgam and other pro-freedom people". It termed slapping of the PSA as "worst form of dictatorship".