June 11, 2002	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, June 10: Muttahida Jihad Council (MJC) on Monday condemned the arrest of senior executive member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and his son-in-law by the Indian authorities under a controversial anti-terrorism law.

Mr Geelani was detained by the Indian authorities in Srinagar under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over allegations that he was “aiding and abetting terrorist activities (and) funding terrorist organizations in the state.” He was sent to a jail in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

“Muttahida Jihad Council strongly condemns the arrest of the popular leader of the freedom movement, Syed Ali Geelani, and his son-in-law, Altaf Ahmed Shah, under the black law, Pota,” said the alliance in a statement.

It said the arrest was part of Indian attempts to frustrate the freedom struggle by eliminating the popular Kashmiri leadership.

The MJC endorsed a strike call given by the APHC to protest Syed Geelani’s arrest and warned the Indian leaders that “if anything happened to the ailing Hurriyat leader, they should be prepared to face its serious consequences.”

A number of Kashmiri leaders and active political workers were in different prisons, and many important leaders had been martyred, the MJC pointed out.

It said that Mr Geelani’s arrest in the present circumstances was more condemnable because he reflected the sentiments of the Kashmiris and was a “thorn in the eyes of Indian authorities” due to his truthfulness.

The MJC also rejected and termed baseless allegations that Mr Geelani would get money from Hizbul Mujahideen for distribution among the group’s commanders (in held Kashmir) and that the Hizb was a Pakistan-based outfit.