Early Times report
SRINAGAR, June 10: In the wake of Syed Ali Geelani's accusation that "Indian secret agencies" were responsible for the deadly attacks on mobile communication network in Kashmir, an obscure outfit has reacted sharply and slammed the chairman of the hardline Hurriyat Conference.
Reiterating that they would not allow the mobile communication in the Valley, a spokesman of the Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) said Geelani's condemnation of the attacks helped police and the mobile companies to restore mobile connectivity in the Valley.
The LeI had claimed responsibility for shooting dead two persons related to the mobile communication network in Sopore nearly two weeks ago. And on June 9, gunmen shot dead one more person, Muhammad Altqaf Sheikh of Geelani's Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, again in the apple town of Sopore.
Even as Geelani's Hurriyat on May 31 claimed that LeI has been floated by "Indian secret agencies to defame the freedom movement", the newly surfaced militant group rubbished the allegations and asked Geelani to probe his own ranks over the killings of four militants including a top commander.
In the statements issued by LeI and published in Srinagar dailies, the group urged Geelani as well as chairman of United Jihad Council (UJC) Syed Salahuddin to "investigate the existence of the outfit properly".
In direct address to Geelani, the militants questioned credentials of his party members. The outfit urged him to probe the role of his associates in the the killings of four militants including Javaid Salafi of Anantnag, Mufti Hilal alias Hilal Molvi of Palhallan, Adil of Pulwama and Rashid from Zainageer, Sopore.
According to news agency GNS, the spokesman of LeI has rebutted the accusations of Geelani and Salahuddin. The LeI "is the outfit of mujahideen-e-Islam and is active for the sake of Allah," the spokesman said.
While Geelani last week said he had enough evidence to prove that LeI was "creation of Indian Home Ministry," the outfit has asked him to make the evidence, if any, against them public.
This outfit also justified its action against telecommunication companies and towers, saying that the telecom network is a "conspiracy" and this "conspiracy has weakened armed resistance and also affected society negatively".
"Due to telecommunication network, lot of militants were killed while others were arrested with the help of mobile phones," the outfit said.
"People of Kashmir were ready to support us in fight against telecommunication but first you branded us terrorists and Indian agents and then your statements encouraged telecom operators with the help of police and the Army to restore the services," the outfit said in its address to UJC chairman. "But Insha Allah we will not allow restoration of telecom system."
As the controversy was yet to die down, unidentified gunmen killed the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat cadre in Sopore on Tuesday. A Hurriyat spokesman said the killing is "handiwork of the Indian agencies." |
