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Tehelka.com, April 01, 2002
Lone roughed up by Shiv Sena
leader
Jammu, April 1 (PTI): Senior Hurriyat leader
Abdul Ghani Lone was today roughed up and heckled by a leader of
the local unit of Shiv Sena but did not receive any injuries.
The incident occured when Kalka Ji Maharaj, accompanied by a few
Sena activists and two personal security officers, menacingly
walked towards Lone and pushed and kicked him while the latter
was talking to television crew after addressing a press
conference.
Maharaj raised slogans like "Jammu ke gadaron ko nikal do.
Desh ki gadaron ko nikal do (throw out traitors of Jammu. Throw
out traitors of India) during the scuffle at a local hotel here
where Lone was having the press meet.
Some security officials attempted to restrain Maharaj but he
continued to threaten a visibly shocked Lone.
Lone later told PTI that he was not injured in any manner though
the Shiv Sena leader tried to assault him.
Earlier, Lone pleaded that the JKLF Chief Yasin Malik should be
released from detention since his health was deteriorating. He
also sought Prime Minister's intervention in this matter.
The News International, Tuesday, April 02,
2002
Sena activist manhandles Lone
HELD SRINAGAR: The People's Conference chief and executive member
of the Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, Abdul Gani Lone, said on
Monday he was attacked by an alleged activist of the hard-line
Hindu group Shiv Sena. "He slapped him at least four or five
times and tore his clothes," said a witness.
Lone said by telephone in held Jammu a man shouting slogans came
up to him and started beating him as he was about to finish a
news conference. "He tore my clothes. Even my personal guard
was prevented from saving me by paramilitary personnel present
there. This was, undoubtedly, directed against my life,"
Lone said.
Indian police detained a militant leader in occupied Kashmir
after another weekend of deadly clashes between militants and the
military. Javid Mir, acting chairman of the Jammu Kashmir
Liberation Front (JKLF), was arrested by police near the Abi
Guzar area of held Srinagar, the state's summer capital,
witnesses said. The reason for his arrest was not immediately
known, but Indian authorities frequently detain Kashmir activists
for questioning, particularly when tension in the state is
running high.
His arrest comes after 15 people, including nine militants, were
killed in violence across the disputed Himalayan state. Police
said soldiers killed three militants in an overnight gunbattle in
Baramulla district, 55 km north of held Srinagar, while five
other guerrillas died in gunbattles in Anantnag district of south
Kashmir.
A teacher and an activist of Kashmir's ruling National Conference
party were killed by suspected rebels in north Kashmir, police
said. Elsewhere, three civilians and two militants were killed in
separate shootouts in the mountainous region.
The News International, Wednesday, May 22,
2002
APHC leader Ghani Lone gunned
down in Srinagar
Vajpayee says assassination to affect peace process; Powell
terms murder a 'direct attack' on hopes for a political dialogue
in disputed region
HELD SRINAGAR: Abdul Ghani Lone, a senior separatist leader, who
was seen as a moderate voice in held Kashmir, was shot dead by
unidentified gunmen on Tuesday, witnesses said.
Lone, an executive member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference
(APHC), was killed in Srinagar as he attended a public meeting to
mark the anniversary of the death of another separatist leader,
Molvi Muhammd Farooq, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in
1990.
Lone, who was in his 70s, wanted to initiate steps to hold
dialogue with the Indian government to find a political solution
to the Kashmir dispute. One of his personal security officers was
also shot dead in the daring attack and another security guard
was injured, witnesses said.
Lone's driver Abdul Rashid said, he was shot at close range by at
least two attackers. "When the function was over, Lone (70),
was leaving the venue and going to the car, when a gunmen opened
fire," he said.
"He fell to the ground, he was reciting the Holy Quran. Then
the gunman fired at him again at close range as he lay on the
ground," Rashid added. The assailants also threw a grenade,
which failed to explode, witnesses said. Six civilians were also
injured. It was not known who was behind Lone's killing, but
Farooq Abdullah, Kashmir's Chief Minister, immediately blamed it
on Pakistan.
Lone, who headed the People's Conference party, was seen as a
moderate separatist leader who was criticised by hard-liners for
his stance that violence was not a solution to the Kashmir
dispute.
There had been speculation in the Indian media that Lone was
considering taking part in elections in held Kashmir, due to be
held later this year, which many militant groups had already said
they would boycott. Last month, Lone was manhandled at a press
conference by a member of the rightwing Hindu Shiv Sena party. He
had survived previous attempts on his life, including a car bomb
that went off outside his house two years ago.
"We have heard that terrorists have shot Abdul Ghani Lone
dead and the body has been taken home. Whoever wants a peaceful
solution in held Kashmir is killed by Pakistan," he said.
The killing came shortly before Indian Prime Minster Atal Behari
Vajpayee arrived in held Kashmir.
Late on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said
the assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone will affect the peace
process in Kashmir but not stop it. "I condemn this
incident. I offer my condolences to the family," he said,
shortly after arriving in held Jammu.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned as
terrorism the murder of a leading Kashmiri separatist, calling it
a "direct attack" on hopes for a political dialogue in
the disputed region that is the source of rising tension between
India and Pakistan. "I was saddened and angered to hear that
Abdul Ghani Lone ... was assassinated in Srinagar," Powell
said in a statement.
"We have not seen any claim of responsibility for the
murder, but this is a direct attack on hopes for a fair political
process in Kashmir," he said and added "His killers are
clearly among those who oppose a peaceful political resolution
there. This was a terrorist act designed to undermine the hopes
of the Kashmiri people for free and fair elections without
violence." Powell noted that Lone had been committed to a
peaceful resolution of the dispute. "Lone sought to achieve
his goals through peaceful, democratic means and courageously
stood up to extremists," he added.
APHC Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat said Lone's death was a setback
for the movement and that leaders of the group would meet on
Wednesday. Asked who was behind the killing, he said: "We
will tell you tomorrow (Wednesday)."
United Jihad Council, an alliance of guerrilla groups fighting
India's rule in held Kashmir, on Tuesday accused Indian
intelligence agencies as being behind the killing of Abdul Ghani
Lone. Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani said the assassination was
an attempt to disrupt holding of polls in Indian Kashmir. India's
main opposition Congress party expressed its grief over the
incident.
The News International, Wednesday, May 22,
2002
Pakistan condemns Lone's
murder, blames Shiv Sena
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD The government has strongly condemned the killing of
All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone in
occupied Kashmir on Tuesday and hinted at the possible hand of
Indian extremists, the Shiv Sina, in this attack.
The death of Abdul Ghani Lone comes a few hours before Indian
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was due to visit occupied
Kashmir under unprecedented security, while Kashmiris themselves
had given a call for complete shut-down.
Additional Secretary, South Asian Desk at the Foreign Office,
Kamran Niaz read out a statement condemning the murder of Abdul
Ghani Lone. He said this was another instance of excesses of the
Indian military inside occupied Kashmir.
"We condemn this attack. Only last month the Shiv Sina had
carried out an attack on Abdul Ghani Lone. We are saddened by his
death and condole with his family, the APHC leaders and all
Kashmiris," said Kamran Niaz.
The News International, Wednesday, May 22,
2002, (Updated at 1930 PST)
Thousands attend Lone’s
funeral procession
SRINAGAR: Thousands of supporters of slain
Kashmiri leader Abdul Ghani Lone Wednesday poured on to the
streets of Srinagar to take part in his funeral procession.
Lone was shot dead on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen as he
attended a rally in Srinagar.
His body, draped in green cloth, was placed in a truck for the 12
kilometre journey from his home in the Rawalpora area of Srinagar
to the Eidgah graveyard where he will be buried and where he was
killed
The News International, Wednesday, May 22,
2002, (Updated at 1730 PST)
APHC demands impartial inquiry
into assassination of Lone
OCCUPIED SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference, at its emergent meeting in Srinagar
Wednesday demanded immediate impartial inquiry into the martyrdom
yesterday of senior APHC leader, Abdul Ghani Lone.
The meeting presided over by the APHC Chairman, Professor Abdul
Ghani Butt, emphasized that urgent impartial inquiry into this
tragedy is imperative so that the hidden hands behind it are
unveiled.
The meeting was attended by Hafizullah Makhdoomi representing
Lone's party, Peoples conference, Syed Ali Gilani, Mir Waiz Umar
Farooq, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Ghulam Nabi Darzi and Javid Ahmad
Mir.
The News International, Thursday, May 23,
2002
Thousands attend Lone's
funeral
Complete shut-down in Valley;
APHC calls for two-day strike
HELD SRINAGAR: Thousands of supporters of slain Kashmiri leader Abdul Gani Lone on Wednesday poured on to the streets of held Kashmir to take part in his funeral procession. Lone was shot dead on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen as he attended a rally in held Srinagar.
The death of the 70-year-old lawyer-turned-politician came as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited held Kashmir. Security in the troubled Himalayan region, already high for Vajpayee's visit, was even tighter after Lone's killing with police and paramilitary forces flooding the streets and marksmen posted on rooftops along the funeral route.
His body, draped in green cloth, was placed in a truck for the 12-kilometre long journey from his home in the Rawalpora district of Srinagar to the Martyr's Graveyard, where he was buried, a couple of yards from where he was gunned down.
Strict security measures were adopted during the funeral procession, with police vans mounted with machine guns leading the hearse-truck and hundreds of police and paramilitary officers lining the roads. More than 10,000 supporters followed Lone's body in cars, jeeps, buses and on motorbikes and cycles.
Many carried blue flags of the People's Conference -- the political party Lone formed in the 1970s, which is part of Kashmir's main separatist alliance the All Party Hurriyat Conference. The mourners, hands folded, stood in rows reciting holy Quran as Lone's body was lowered into the ground.
Earlier his daughter, Shabnam Lone, a Supreme Court lawyer, told mourners who gathered at the family house where his body lay on the lawn to "look at his face, it does not show fear, it shows a sense of knowledge -- he knew his assassin had come".
No group has claimed responsibility for his death but some Indian leaders blamed Pakistan while Pakistan accused India's "occupying forces" in held Kashmir. The city was deserted except for the procession after being shut down by a general strike called by Kashmir's main separatist alliance before Lone's death to protest against Vajpayee's visit.
The All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference of which Lone was a key leader called the strike, saying human rights violations by security forces had risen before Vajpayee's visit. Lone was one of the seven executive members of the Hurriyat. Others carried black flags in protest at the killing.
People's Conference supporters shouted "We want freedom. Freedom is our birthright. We will get it at any cost" as the hearse-truck crawled the streets to finish the journey in more than two hours. Women and children stood on roofs of centuries-old buildings while elderly men sat on cots placed on footpaths to pay their respects to Lone.
Separatist leaders, including Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat, Omar Farooq, Javed Mir and Syed Ali Geelani followed the procession in cars. "It is a tragic loss to the movement," said Shabir Shah, a senior separatist leader who has spent more than 20 years in various jails. Hyder Ali, a businessman attending the funeral, said Lone had stuck bravely to his ideals. "He had the courage to speak for the people. After so many years of violence, he believed only dialogue could resolve the issue of Kashmir. It is a sad end," he said. The funeral procession filled the streets of Srinagar, which were otherwise deserted on Wednesday after a strike called APHC.
The APHC has called for a two-day general strike beginning on Thursday (today) to protest the assassination of one of its founding leaders. The All Party Hurriyat Conference said it had called for the strike to protest the murder of Abdul Gani Lone by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday. Bhat told the mourners gathered at the graveyard that Lone's death was a loss for the movement. "Still we are all united as a political force," he said.
A one-day strike to protest the visit of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee crippled the life of Kashmir valley on Wednesday. The strike, called by the All Party Hurriyat Conference, closed down shops and businesses in Srinagar. Most traffic was off the roads. The strike has been co-sponsored by the Kashmir High Court Bar Association. The Hurriyat, in calling for a strike, accused the Indian leadership of creating war hysteria on the subcontinent and bringing the region to the brink of disaster.
"It is a dangerous situation," a statement by the Hurriyat said and added "And it is under these conditions that the Indian prime minister is visiting held Kashmir." "Vajpayee would make the issue of Kashmir more complex through economic packages and hollow political statements," it said.
A curfew has been imposed in Lone's birthplace in a village in Handwara township of Kupwara district. The step has been taken to prevent violent protests against the assassination, police said. Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Wednesday demanded an immediate probe into the assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone.