JKLF seeks intervention of Red Cross

Published March 28, 2002

SRINAGAR, March 27: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on Wednesday called upon the Red Cross to intervene over the arrest of its chairman, Yasin Malik, as a one-day protest strike threw life out of gear in parts of occupied Kashmir.

Javed Mir, number two in the JKLF, said Malik was feeling unwell following his arrest on Monday, and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to ensure his well-being.

Malik, who is also an executive member of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), has a history of medical problems for which he has received treatment in the United States.

Police said Malik’s arrest was related to the weekend seizure of 100,000 dollars from two people who allegedly confessed to bringing the money illegally into held Kashmir for the JKLF chairman. Malik, 35, has denied any link to the seized cash and his arrest triggered clashes between JKLF activists and the Indian forces, which continued on Tuesday after a court ordered Malik remanded into police custody for a week.—AFP