As the Jammu and Kashmir government lifted house arrest restrictions on Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he offered Friday congregational prayers and addressed a public rally at Hyderpora in Srinagar.
Accompanied by Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and his supporters, Geelani after eight years of his house confinement, made his first public appearance on Friday and addressed a public rally.
Geelani was accorded a rousing reception and was taken from his residence amid pro-freedom slogans to nearby mosque in Hyderpora.
While addressing the rally, Geelani said that the Joint resistance leadership will meet in near future to chalk out a fresh strategy. “I, with a sincere heart, want to convey that we are yearning for peace and seek peaceful resolution to the long- pending Kashmir issue,” said Geelani, adding, “India needs to fulfil its promise of giving Kashmiris their right to self-determination to choose their future.”
“We want to remind Indian authorities that we are not demanding any part of India be separated but made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is a ‘disputed territory’ which needs a resolution in accordance with resolutions presented by India itself before UN in January 1948,” Geelani said.
Geelani expressed his deep concern over the increasing, waywardness, liquor consumption, drug addiction and other social evils and in his fervent appeal to youth asked to play their effective and pivotal role to help to eradicate this menace from society.
A group of youth pelted stones at the security forces after Geelani left the place. The security forces retaliated by bursting teargas shells to chase away the miscreants.