Security forces opened fire to quell stone-pelting protesters as fresh violence erupted on Friday in Kashmir after days of relative calm, leaving two persons dead and 50 others injured. Authorities imposed strict restrictions on the movement of people following a call by the separatists to march to Maisuma in the heart of the city to protest against the killing of youths allegedly in firing by security forces.
Curfew-like-restrictions were imposed on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar and other towns to scuttle the separatist called marches.
Moderate separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq on Friday categorically denied that "any quiet dialogue was going on between them and the Centre".
The efforts to forge unity among the various Kashmiri separatist groups received a jolt after hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani rejected the unity move of the moderate, All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Wednesday.
All Party Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has claimed that he was placed under house arrest minutes after his meeting with the all-party delegation at his residence in downtown Srinagar.
Seven members of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference general council have quit the conglomerate over differences with the top leadership on "restoration of the Hurriyat constitution".
A shutdown called by the hardline separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) against the alleged molestation and murder of a college girl in north Kashmir Kupwara district once again crippled normal life across the valley on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of APHC leaders in Srinagar, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said: "The decision to visit Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was taken at a meeting of the conglomerate here."
Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq was detained along with hundreds of his supporters for staging a protest in Srinagar, coinciding with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The rally was, however, intercepted by the police at Munawarabad area resulting in clashes. The police had to use tear gas and resort to repeated baton charges to disperse the protest rally.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Wednesday announced the resumption of protests by calling a general strike on Saturday.The APHC co-ordination committee decided to call the strike after holding a meeting in Srinagar today afternoon to decide its future course of action."The coordination committee has appealed to the people to hold peaceful protests after Friday prayers and observe a complete strike on Saturday," a spokesman of the committee said.
Two persons were killed when policemen fired on protestors in Qamarwari and Sangrama areas of Kashmir valley on Monday, according to official sources.
After People's League chief Sheikh Abdul Aziz last week, Shabir Shah has joined the moderate separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq.
Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, the chief spokesman of the separatist conglomerate, said APHC's 'self governance was not something of a concession like autonomy.'
The strike was called to protest the arrest and subsequent booking under Public Safety Act of six of Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's close associates in Srinagar last week.
"The government of India should come up with its roadmap to Kashmir. We would welcome its proposals on the resolution of the long-standing dispute of Kashmir," the Hurriyat chief said.
Authorities imposed restrictions in several downtown localities early Saturday, as separatists called bandh against the beef ban hit life in Srinagar and elsewhere.
The leaders returned after a fortnight-long visit to Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.\n
"What is the point of holding discussion with the government to government level by New Delhi?" askeed the Mirwaiz.
The meeting presided over by APHC chairman Moulvi Mohammad Abbas Ansari is being attended by all senior members, including executive members Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone, Hurriyat sources said.
Hurriyat's Mirwaiz said Mufti has exposed his game plan by rushing to New Delhi to sort out the matter.
Former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Saxena has dealt with Hurriyat leaders for many years. Here he paints Hurriyat's profile exclusively for rediff.com.
The meeting was called to finalise the agenda for APHC's talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In a surprise move on Wednesday, Hurriyat chairman Moulavi Abbas Ansari quit and handed over charge to the Mirwaiz.
The prime minister has been briefed about the talks held earlier last year during the NDA regime.
"There is [a] strong difference of opinion with Geelani. If he cooperates and removes this difference it would be fine. Otherwise, he will slowly be isolated."
This is the first meeting between the Hurriyat and an Indian prime minister.
Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in large parts of Srinagar on Saturday to foil Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's rally to commemorate his father's death anniversary.
New Delhi had suggested April 14 or 15 for a meeting between the APHC and the PM, but Hurriyat Conference representatives will be reaching Delhi only on April 16.
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