Srinagar, Sep 2: The senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who passed away on Wednesday evening at his Srinagar residence, was laid to rest in the dead of the night as Kashmir Thursday woke up to stringent curfew and communication blockade.
Geelani, 92, breathed his last after developing serious breathing issues at his Rehmatabad, Hyderpora, Srinagar residence Wednesday evening. Soon after the news of his death spread across Srinagar, senior officers of police and the CRPF rushed to Hyderpora and sealed his residence and ordered the deployment of large number of security forces to prevent law and order issue. The aged separatist leader was under house detention since 2008. His health started falling fast since past two years. Geelani had parted ways from the Hurriyat Conference last year.
Witnesses told KNO that only a few relatives were present at the burial that too in presence of a large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel. “Geelani sahib was laid to rest in a local graveyard barely 300 meters away from his Hyderpora residence,” they said.
After the silent burial of the veteran separatist leader, the authorities on early morning Thursday, snapped mobile communication and internet on all platforms. BSNL was the only tele-communication Company that allowed voice-calling on its network. People woke up to see stringent curfew in place.
Witnesses said that only vehicles that were supposed to reach Srinagar airport were allowed to proceed after thorough checking and questioning of passengers. A cab driver, who was ferrying two Delhi-bound passengers, said that today’s restrictions were reminiscent of the one witnessed in Srinagar post Article 370 revocation. (KNO)
