Kashmir shuts on Moulvi Farooq’s death anniversary

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 21

Government-imposed restrictions and a separatist-sponsored shutdown marked the 25th death anniversary of Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, father of moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Moulvi Farooq was assassinated in his Srinagar residence by unidentified gunmen on May 21 in 1990.

Mirwaiz had called for a march to Eidgah and complete shutdown in Kashmir to mark the death anniversaries of Moulvi Farooq and Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone today.

Besides imposing restrictions in areas falling under five police stations in old Srinagar city to foil the proposed separatist march to Eidgah, the government had placed Mirwaiz under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on Tuesday evening.

It was at Eidgah that separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone was assassinated at the commemorative rally on May 21, 2002. Both Moulvi Farooq and Lone are buried at Eidgah in the martyrs’ graveyard, where Hizbul Mujahideen commander Abdullah Bangroo is also buried.Shops and other business establishments in the Residency Road area, Lambert Lane, Regal Chowk, Maisuma in the city centre Lal Chowk and the Batamaloo and Karan Nagar areas of Srinagar remained shut today in response to the call.

Public transport was also off the roads in most of the areas in Srinagar and major towns such as Sopore in Baramulla, Pattan in north Kashmir and Pampore and Bijbehara in south Kashmir. Clashes between stone-throwing youth and the police were also reported from the Palhalan area of north Kashmir.

Moulvi Mohammad Farooq was killed by unidentified gunmen after they barged into his Nigeen residence on May 21 in 1990. Subsequently, on the same day, a huge procession carrying his coffin was fired upon by CRPF men at Hawal in Srinagar. More than 60 civilians were killed in the CRPF firing, making it one of the biggest massacres in Kashmir. Though the assassins of Mirwaiz were unidentified, the Hawal massacre reinforced the perception among locals that government forces were behind the assassination of Moulvi Farooq.