SRINAGAR: The All Panty Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has opposed the government’s decision to deploy the National Security Guards (NSG) at important Muslim shrines in the Valley. Minister of state for home, Sayed Sibte Razi had said in Jammu this week that the Center had identified 11 religious places in the state where NSG personnel would be deployed to thwart “attempts by militants to desecrate them.”Hurriyat chairman Umar Farooq alleged at a press conference here that protection of the shrines was only a pretext to “capture” them, Apart from their religious significance, the Muslim shrines in Kashmir were also important polite cone where people gathered to demonstrations against Central rule, he said.

Mr. Farooq reiterated the Hurriyat stand that neither the government nor any party or group of individuals should take control of any shrine, the decision about security arrangements at the Muslim shrines should be left to the Muslim Auqaf Trust, he said.

Auqaf secretary Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who was present at the press conference, alleged that the government was planning to take away the control of Muslim shrines from it, Mr, Rashid condemned the government statement that the JKLF militants, killed at Hazraibal last week, had threatened the Auqaf authorities to suspend congregations at the shrine, He denied that the Auqaf had taken the decision under threat from the JKLF. Mr. Farooq termed the killing of JKLF militants at Hazratbal last week as “extrajudicial executions.” The security forces had killed 463 unarmed civilians and blown up 389 houses across Kashmir over the past three months he alleged.

The Hurriyat chief accused the government of trying to coerce people into submission before the proposed parliamentary elections,

Mr, Farooq said the western world had been misled by India’s so-called policy of transparency on Kashmir, In order to promote its business interests in India, he alleged, the western world was encouraging India to use its full military might against the people of Kashmir.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 3, 1996