The Hindu : National : Conspiracy to kill me: Geelani

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Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

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Conspiracy to kill me: Geelani

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEPT. 17. Taking strong exception to a report published in The Hindu on September 16, Syed Geelani, leader of the faction of the Hurriyat Conference, has said that the Government of India had not only unleashed a "malicious campaign against me" but also formed a new outfit to "kill me and my colleagues."

Speaking to a gathering after the burial of his political secretary, Peer Hissamuddin, in the "martyr's graveyard" here, Mr. Geelani said: "The report is a figment of imagination and aimed at tarnishing my image which has become a permanent feature for the Government of India." "They even do not forgive the dead," he said asking his supporters to repeat "The Hindu - shame, shame."

He refuted that his lieutenant was involved in any "terror funding." He condemned the report and asked the media to perform its duties with "full sense of responsibility".

"I am on hit list"

Mr. Geelani blamed New Delhi and its "agencies" for the Pir's killing and claimed that the Government of India had recently launched an "outfit of counter-insurgents by the name of `Territorial Force' to eliminate him and his associates." "Hissamuddin has been gunned down by the same outfit. The Indian agencies had been openly holding out threats and saying that Geelani and his associates would not be tolerated any more," he said.

The Pir had been forced to leave his native place in Sopore 12 years ago and his property was "occupied" by the "forces," he said.

"But I tell them all that I am very much ready to sacrifice my life for Kashmir's freedom." He called it Delhi's "dangerous plan" but asserted that the assassination would fail to remove him and his associates from the path of "struggling for Kashmir's freedom."

"We'll continue our struggle until a referendum of self-determination is held in Jammu and Kashmir as per the U.N. resolutions," Mr. Geelani said adding that there was "world pressure" on India and Pakistan to convert the Line of Control into International Border. But it would never be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He asked Pakistan to conduct the composite dialogue with India in such a manner that the substantive issue of Jammu and Kashmir's political solution was not eclipsed by bilateral issues.

The Muzaffarabad-based "supreme commander" of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salah-ud-din, condemned the Pir's killing and said that those who killed him "would meet a bad end."

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