Pro-Taliban rallies in Kashmir

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEPT. 21. In a severe setback to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a complete strike was observed across Kashmir Valley to express solidarity with Afghanistan and the Saudi fugitive, Osama bin Laden. Police opened fire in the air to disperse pro-Taliban processions at various places.

The call given by Pak.-Afghan Defence Council and supported by four front-ranking militant organisations - Jaish-e- Mohammad, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Badr and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen - besides the women's group, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, evoked near total response.

All shops and business establishments, educational institutions, banks and Government offices were closed. Transport services were also affected partially and inter-district bus services remained off the roads. Some groups of youth took to the streets in Maisuma in the morning and pelted stones at the police who had been deployed in strength.

After the Friday prayers, demonstrations were witnessed in downtown areas of Jamia Masjid, Kawdara, Rajouri Kadal, Bohri Kadal and adjacent localities. Hundreds of people took out processions raising slogans such as ``Taliban zindabad, Afghanistan zindabad'', ``Lashkar ke mujahidou ham tumhare sath hein''. They also set afire the U.S. flag and burnt effigies of the American President, Mr. George W. Bush.

Police opened fire in the air and used tear-gas shells to disperse the processionists. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hurriyat leader, who delivered the Friday sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid, tried to prevent the people from taking out a procession but failed.

The militant organisations have thanked the people for observing the strike and not giving heed to the Hurriyat appeal. The Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief, Ms. Asiya Andrabi, said ``today's strike has proved that people are with militants active in jehad and not with the selfish politicians''.

The Al Umar chief, Mr. Mushtaq Zargar, has impressed upon the Muslim world to get united to fight the U.S. plans of attacking Afghanistan. ``It will be an attack on the entire Muslim world,'' Mr. Zargar, who was among the three militants released in the Kandahar hijacking, said in a statement.

Criticising the U.S. for falsely implicating Osama bin Laden in the bombings in New York and Washington, he said ``Osama is a true Mujahid of Islam''.

When asked about the people's response to the militant call, the senior Hurriyat leader, Mr. Abdul Gani Lone, said ``People were terrified. Otherwise, they were ready to abide by our call''.

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