Most wanted Massarat Alam arrested in Srinagar

Kashmir ‘Intifada’ suffers major setback; Police searching for Pak hand

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Muslim League leader and key functionary of the separatist Hurriyat Conference (Geelani faction), Massarat Alam Bhat, who indisputably played the most important role in the four-month-long mass agitation and street demonstrations in Kashmir valley, was finally arrested by Srinagar District Police from his hideout in Telbal area of this capital city today. With over a dozen criminal matters registered against him at different Police Stations, Massarat Alam has been subjected to sustained questioning as Police and intelligence agencies are said to be searching for the characters who, they believe, sent money and directions for the success of Intifada-2010 from Pakistan.

Informed sources told Early Times that a Srinagar District Police team, led by SP City (South), Mohammad Irshad, conducted a raid on the residential house of a businessman, Aftab Ahmed, in Telbal area of Dal Lake periphery at 1900 hours this evening and arrested the officiating General Secretary of Hurriyat (G), Massarat Alam Bhat, without facing any resistance. He was quickly whisked away to headquarters of Special Operations Group (SOG) Srinagar and subjected to sustained questioning. According to a tip-off provided to Police, Alam had been hiding at the house of his maternal uncle since last week.

Sources said that IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai and SSP Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, planned the operation of Alam’s arrest after receiving specific information with regard to his presence in Telbal this evening. Even as the area falls under the jurisdiction of SP Hazratbal, the operation was assigned to SP South, Mohammad Irshad, who has a track record of high profile arrests during his two-year-long stint as head of SOG Srinagar.

SSP Srinagar, Ashiq Bukhari, confirmed Alam’s arrest and said that he was the most wanted for Kashmir Police on account of his key role in mobilization of anti-India, pro-Pakistan and pro-Azadi demonstrations and mob attacks on Police, security forces and public properties since beginning of June 2010. He claimed that Alam’s arrest was a major success for Police and perhaps a decisive setback to the violent uprising in the Valley that has sent life out of gear since June.

A senior official said that Alam’s arrest had become the biggest challenge for Police and security forces as it was he who had been issuing shutdown calendars and managing to enforce strikes while using all possible tactics. He had been publicly justifying closure of educational institutions with the argument that nothing was paramount to “sacrifices of life” in Kashmir’s “freedom struggle”. He had gone underground after addressing a news conference in downtown Srinagar on June 24^th. Officials said that his arrest had become all the more difficult as Alam had completely abandoned use of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets that help Police and intelligence agencies in tracing and arresting the most wanted individuals. He, according to officials, had also restricted physical and communication contact with his friends, relatives and members of his organization.

Alam had been functioning as Vice Chairman of Muslim League as well as the officiating General Secretary of Hurriyat (G) since last over three months. In two CDs, released from his separate hideouts, Alam had asked the Kashmiris to continue the agitation for complete demilitarization of the state while calling upon the security forces “not to perpetrate atrocities on innocent and occupied Kashmiris”. He had also played a key role in the success of a similar agitation in the Valley in 2008.

After his continued detention under PSA, that was repeatedly extended by District Magistrate of Srinagar for eight times in the last two years, Alam was released against an undertaking in May this year. Rather than staying away from the separatist activities, Alam emerged as the most important character in current “Quit J&K Movement” after Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s detention earlier this year.

Following the detention of prominent separatist activists, particularly Pir Saifullah, Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Asiya Andrabi and Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, Alam’s arrest is expected to prove a major setback for the current mass uprising in Kashmir.

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