SRINAGAR; 17, Aug 2012: Jumat-ul-Wida, today, was observed as the Day of Qudus and Kashmir to impress upon the international community to come forward in a big way to help secure the people of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir their inalienable right to self-determination. Call for the observance of the Day was given by Veteran Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq addressing a people in Srinagar, today, asked India to bring to an immediate end the spate of arrests and detentions in  Kashmir and pave way for settlement of the Kashmir dispute. He called for inclusion of true representatives of the Kashmiris in Pak-India talks on Kashmir. A resolution passed at the gathering and endorsed simultaneously by the people in almost all mosques of the  territory rejected the Indian state terrorism in Kashmir and the Israeli aggression in Palestine. It demanded withdrawal of Indian troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

Hurriyet leaders, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash and Hakeem Abdur Rasheed addressing big public gatherings in various areas of the valley urged India to immediately bring to a halt the spate of unwarranted arrests and detentions.



On the other hand, police arrested Syed Ali Geelani and Muhammad Ashraf Sahrai detaining them at Humhama and Narbal police stations. The authorities placed senior APHC leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah under house arrest in Srinagar. The leaders were not allowed to offer Jumat-ul-wida prayers.