Police disallow separatist seminar in Srinagar

SRINAGAR - Police Wednesday sealed a hotel where Muslim separatist leaders were to attend a seminar that was also to be addressed by senior guerrilla commanders from Pakistan over a phone link.

Dozens of policemen descended on Taj Hotel to seal it ahead of Wednesday’s seminar on the role of Kashmiri separatist leaders.

Police detained human rights activist Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, who had organised the seminar, as well as Javaid Mir, chairman of a faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and others.

Senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq were expected to attend.

The Muzaffarabad-based chief of the United Jehad Council (UJC), Syed Sallahuddin, who is also supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was to address the seminar on phone.