MUZAFFARABAD, May 23: More than 350 people, mostly the Kashmiri refugees, took out a procession here on Thursday to condemn the assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone, executive member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, in Srinagar on Tuesday.

The refugees, living in different makeshift camps on the outskirts of the AJK capital, earlier assembled in the University College ground, where they offered Ghaibana Namaz-i-JanazaDawn, or funeral prayers in absentia, for Mr Lone, following which they decided to take a round of a main route of the old city.

Ironically, there was no representation of the AJK government or any of the main political parties at the Nimaz-i-Janaza. Among the government officials, only the additional deputy commissioner (general) was seen there and he too had been detailed to check the law and order situation.

The absence of the cabinet members or legislators was badly felt and widely criticized by all and sundry, who said a government that claims itself to the representative of the whole of Kashmir should not have displayed such an indifference to an event that was organized to condemn the murder of a dedicated Kashmiri leader as well as to pay him tribute.