Attempt on Ali Gilani's life; Mirwaiz of Kashmir Condemns
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

JAMMU (IHK): In Jammu, a band of Shiv Sena hooligans made an attempt on the life of senior Kashmiri Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani as he started addressing a press conference after his release from Jammu Amphala Jail.

The Shiv Sena miscreants attacked the hotel, which was the venue of the press conference. They resorted to violence, indulged in hooliganism, physically assaulted Syed Ali Gilani and disrupted the gathering.

A large number of mediamen were present on the occasion. The local police personnel joined the miscreants, grabbed Syed Ali Gilani and forcibly lifted him from his chair to prevent him from addressing the press conference.

Gilani's supporters succeeded in rescuing him. The miscreants were raising provocative slogans against Kashmir liberation struggle.

Later, Syed Ali Gilani, talking to Kashmir Media Service [KMS] from Jammu, denounced in strong terms the attack on him. Gilani said that the blatant attack on his life has exposed how secure a Kashmiri is in his own homeland.

"I just wanted to express my viewpoint but the way police defended the goons shows that its is a police state," he said.

The veteran leader said, during his entire visit to Rajouri and Poonch, he was persistently harassed by the police and was not allowed to hold public rallies.

Gilani said, India is misleading international community by presenting a rosy picture of the situation in occupied Kashmir. He added that human rights violations, rapes, custodial killings and arbitrary arrests, are ever rising in the held territory.

A protest rally was taken out from Lal Chowk, immediately after the news of the assault on Syed Ali Gilani in Jammu reached Srinagar.

The participants of the rally raised full-throated anti-India and pro-liberation slogans and strongly condemned attempt on the life of senior Hurriyat leader.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement in Srinagar, strongly condemned the assault by Shiv Sena hooligans on senior Kashmiri Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani. He also denounced killing by troops of a youth in Kupwara.●