The Hindu : National : Mirwaiz's uncle buried in ancestral graveyard

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

National

National

Mirwaiz's uncle buried in ancestral graveyard

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, JUNE 8 . Moulvi Mushtaq Ahmed, senior leader of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's uncle was laid to rest in a Srinagar downtown graveyard today amid a strike in most parts of the city. Moulvi Mushtaq, who was shot by militants, died on Monday evening after 10 days in hospital.

In a significant departure, Moulvi Mushtaq was buried in his ancestral graveyard of Malkhah and not at the "Martyr's graveyard." All those killed in militancy-related incidents, particularly at the hands of security forces have been buried in this graveyard, carved out of Eidgah 15 years ago. Umar's father Moulvi Mohammad Farooq was also buried in the same cemetery in 1990.

Sources said Mushtaq's son did not allow the Moulvi to be buried in Eidgah.

Shops and business establishments in most parts of Srinagar remained closed and traffic was off the road.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led the prayers on the sprawling lawns of Jamia Masjid, the traditional seat of influence of the Mirwaiz family. The funeral procession started from Mirwaiz Manzil, the headquarters of AAC. Youths wearing black bands and carrying black flags raised pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans, besides demanding "asli qatil kou peash karou (produce the real killer)" and "Umer sahib agay badou, hum tumharay sath hein (Umar you go ahead we are with you)." Leaders of Hurriyat Conference, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone, the JKLF chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, and Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Mohammad Abdullah Tari of the Peoples' League's offered prayers. Mr. Malik and Mr. Aziz are part of the six-month-old Itehadi Force (unity force), which wants the re-unification of the Hurriyat.

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