Geelani, Mirwaiz, Malik released

ZULFIKAR MAJID
Srinagar, Sep 1: Eight days after their arrest and no whereabouts, three top pro-freedom leaders – chairmen of Hurriyat Conference factions, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik– were released Monday evening.
Sources said that Geelani was brought to his Hyderpora residence Monday evening by a posse of policemen and then shifted to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for medical checkup.
Confirming release of Geelani, Inspector General Police, Kashmir Range, S M Sahai said, “We have released Geelani,” Sahai said.
Director SKIMS, Dr Abdul Hamid Zarger confirmed that Geelani was brought to the hospital for a checkup. “He was brought here at 7:30 pm and we would keep him under observation for a day or so and then we can assess his health condition,” Dr Zarger told Greater Kashmir.
A top medico in SKIMS on the condition of anonymity said that Geelani was suffering from some cardiac problems.
Mirwaiz’s secretary, advocate Shahid-ul-Islam confirmed that Mirwaiz has reached his Nigeen residence. “He reached home at 7:30 pm,” he said.
JKLF spokesman, Ashraf-Ibn-Salam said that officially it has been announced that Malik has been released. “But he hasn’t reached home till 8:30 pm,” he said.
While Geelani was arrested from his Hyderpora residence ahead of Lal Chowk Chalo march on the intervening night of August 24 and 25, Mirwaiz was arrested same night from his Nigeen residence. Malik was arrested at Maisuma on August 25 morning when he tried to march towards Lal Chowk.
There was no news about Hurriyat (M) leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, Hurriyat (G) leaders Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Masrat Alam Bhat, Ayaz Akbar, Dukhtran-e-Milat chief, Syeda Asiya Andrabi, Islamic Students League leader, Shakeel Bakshi, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader, Mejraj-ud-Din Kalwal and other arrested leaders in the past one-week.
While Asiya and Kalwal have been already booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) – that provides for detention without trial for up to two years – sources said that Shabir Shah and Ashraf Sehrai were booked under PSA on Monday.
Andrabi and Shah have been instrumental in promoting unity between two factions of Hurriyat, who had parted ways in 2003.
The crackdown on pro-freedom leadership came in the backdrop of their proposed Lal Chowk Chalo march on August 24.
Earlier, pro-freedom leaders had shown their strength by mobilizing lakhs of people in the march to Muzaffarabad on August 11, Pampore on August 16, rally outside the United Nations office here on August 18 and Eidgah on August 22.