February 18, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 16, 1423

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SRINAGAR, Feb 17: Dozens of Kashmiri women took to the streets Monday to demand the release of a female separatist leader whose arrest outside the Pakistani mission in New Delhi caused a major diplomatic spat.

The women, most of them veiled, marched the streets of Indian Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar carrying placards demanding the release of Anjum Zamrud Habib, leader of the Muslim Khawateen Markaz (MKM) separatist party.

“She is innocent and has been implicated by New Delhi to bring infamy and disrepute to the freedom struggle of Kashmir,” said demonstrator Asifa.

Habib was arrested on Feb 6 outside the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi.

She is being held under India’s tough year-old Prevention of Terrorism Act, which gives authorities broad discretion to hold suspects.

Indian police said her meeting at the Pakistani mission was arranged by Abdul Gani Bhat, chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

The freedom fighters have denied the allegations.

TROOPER KILLED: An Indian paramilitary trooper was killed and three others injured when a mine planted along a key highway in the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir exploded on Monday, a police spokesman said.

The explosion took place at Dooni Pura in the southern Kashmiri district of Anantnag, when personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Security Force were on their way to check the highway for mines.—AFP