In hawks’ season, Valley loses its Hurriyat dove

• Anti-jihadi Abdul Gani Lone assassinated at rally; Pak, ISI killed him: son
• Geelani heckled; ‘Hizb, Jaish suspects’

Muzamil Jaleel & Mufti Islah

Srinagar, May 21: Veteran Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone, considered a moderate and a voice of reason in the separatist camp who maintained that jihadis should keep off the Kashmir ‘‘movement,’’ was assassinated here today by unidentified militants.

Lone, 70, was shot soon after a rally—attended by about 15,000 people—at the Martyrs’ Graveyard in the Idgah locality of downtown Srinagar to mark the 12th death anniversary of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq.

Family members mourn for Abdul Gani Lone at their residence in Rawalpora, Srinagar. Photo by Javeed Shah

Lone’s family blamed Pakistan, its ISI and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for the killing.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) K. Rajendra said that although no arrests have been made, the suspects include all the militant groups active in the Valley, including the Hizbul Mujahideen, the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar.

‘‘The Idgah area and the surrounding downtown localities also have a strong presence of the Al-Umar Mujahideen who work directly under the Jaish,’’ Rajendra said. ‘‘We hope for a breakthrough soon.’’ He said the killing has exposed the designs of hardliners to derail the forthcoming poll process.

‘‘We will have to prepare ourselves for a spurt in violence and many such incidents in the coming months,’’ he said.

Pak blames India, then condemns ‘terror act’

PAKISTAN Initially ‘‘strongly condemned the cold-blooded murder’’ and linked it to Lone’s manhandling by Shiv Sena activists. Said murder is ‘‘yet another incident in the reign of terror unleashed’’ by Indian forces • By late evening, though, it called it an ‘‘act of terrorism’’ and expressed “deep shock and sorrow over the news. “ Musharraf condoled the “assassination of distinguished Kashmiri leader Abdul Gani Lone” (and) demanded an “impartial inquiry.’’ JEHADIS • United Jehadi Council (PoK): We express our sorrow and grief. The hand of Indian intelligence agencies cannot be ruled out • Saleem Hashmi, PoK-based spokesman of Hizbul Mujahideen: The killing is the handiwork of Indian agencies. A formidable leader like Lone could be silenced only by them • Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen: The killing is a cowardly act, a conspiracy against the people of Kashmir HURRIYAT CONFERENCE • Abdul Gani Bhat: ‘‘The killing is a big shock.’’ Bhat didn’t comment on whether the killing would affect the peace process • Syed Ali Shah Geelani: Targeting one person could be a “conspiracy. “ NEW DELHI • Pyarelal Khandelwal, BJP: Lone’s killing is sad and condemnable. It only demonstrates that anyone who deviates even slightly from the extremist line becomes the target of Pak-trained militants • Sonia Gandhi, Congress: I have been shocked by the news of the assassination of Lone, who was among those Kashmiri leaders who favoured dialogue • Sitaram Yechuri, CPI(M): It shows the state of security in Jammu & Kashmir. Lone was a popular leader who was on the verge of joining the mainstream • A.B Bardhan, CPI: It appears to be a conspiracy to eliminate Lone. The government has failed to protect him

Lone, who is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters, was killed soon after the meeting ended and the Hurriyat leaders were filing out. ‘‘I was walking ahead of him. He was accompanied by his bodyguards (J-K policemen) when a man appeared and shot at him. He first threw something, perhaps a grenade, which did not explode and dropped in a drain,’’ said Abdul Rasheed, Lone’s driver and one of the few eyewitnesses.

‘‘Within seconds he opened fire at Lone Sahib,’’ he said. ‘‘We tried to rush towards Lone Sahib’s body but the assassin fired at us too. I escaped but another bodyguard was injured.’’

Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and JKLF leader Javed Mir were just a dozen metres behind Lone. ‘‘We had left the rally together. As we were walking, somebody from the crowd shook my hand but while doing so he tripped. This made us stop for a few minutes by which time Lone had moved ahead,’’ Bhat said. ‘‘Then there was firing and we could not understand what was going on.’’

Said Javed Mir: ‘‘I heard a few gunshots and then people started running. There was utter confusion and somebody fell down. When we came closer, it was Lone Sahib and his guards,’’ Mir said.

Earlier, the rally had begun from the Razaykadal (downtown) headquarters of Mirwaiz’s Awami Action Committee after mid-day prayers. An estimated 15,000 people had assembled at the Idgah grounds. All through, people chanted slogans in favour of freedom and Pakistan.

Incidentally, Jamat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was not present. Lone did not address the gathering. Even as the Hurriyat leaders started addressing the rally, a splinter group from among the audience—mainly angry young men—tried to shout them down with slogans like Saudabazi nahin chalegi (No sellout will be allowed); Jeevay jeevay Pakistan (Long live Pakistan).

Clearly targeted at the moderate Hurriyat leadership, these men were expressing their anger against recent overtures of Lone and Mirwaiz especially at the Dubai Conference with Pakistan’s Kashmir Committee chief Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan.

The leaders there had sought an end to violence as a strategy and stressed on political and peaceful means to resolve the Kashmir conflict given the ‘‘changing realities’’ post-September 11. As Lone’s body reached his Sant Nagar residence, hundreds of his supporters and relatives assembled there shouting slogans in favour of independence of Kashmir.

Said Lone’s son Sajjad Lone, ‘‘I want to tell the world who did it. It is ISI, Pakistan and Geelani. We will definitely ask them. They will have to pay for it,’ he shouted as relatives tried to calm him down.

When hardliner Geelani showed up—he had publicly criticized Lone for his participation in the Dubai meet—he had to face the ire of a group of Lone supporters, agitated and angry. ‘‘We want nothing (from you),’’ they said. ‘‘What do you have to do here?’’