Hurriyat leader held over remarks to Radio Pakistan on alleged arrests in Kashmir

A Hurriyat leader has been arrested and booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), days after his statement on alleged arrests in Kashmir was aired by Radio Pakistan. An official said Gulzar Ahmad Dar, vice-chairman of Masarat Alam-headed Hurriyat, was arrested from Srinagar’s Batamaloo area and booked under the PSA. The Act allows a person to be detained for two years without a trial. The arrest comes in the backdrop of Mr. Dar’s statement being published by Radio Pakistan on February 25.  “All Parties Hurriyat Conference vice-chairman Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar has strongly condemned the upsurge in arrest spree by the Indian forces across the occupied territory. He said that youth, political leaders and activists are being arrested on a daily basis in the occupied territory with the sole aim to force them to give up their freedom struggle,” read the statement published by Radio Pakistan and attributed to Mr. Dar.  Officials said Mr. Dar, who hails from Baramulla’s Kreeri Pattan area, was a resident of Gungbugh Tengpora in Batamloo, Srinagar. After the arrest, Mr. Dar was shifted to the Central Jail Srinagar.  “He was giving provocative statements to Pakistan-based newspapers,” a police officer said. The order to arrest Mr. Dar under the PSA was signed by the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, after the police produced a dossier and expressed fears that “the accused was trying to disturb peace and tranquillity in Srinagar city.”