Sameer Showkin Lone
Srinagar, March 26:
Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, Monday said that people of Kashmir were facing “oppression” and that his son, who recently joined Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant outfit, has “ chosen his own path.”
Speaking for the first time after his son, Junaid Ahmad Khan, joined the HM, Sehrai told Rising Kashmir that he was not aware till he joined the militancy.
“He has left on his way … Khuda ke hawale, usko wahi samaj aaya ki muje aise kaam karna chahiyee…hum bohat zulm o sitam mai hai,” Sehrai said.
He also said that his son had not met him when he left home. “I was at the office when I was told by the family members that Junaid had gone to Lal Chowk to repair his phone, but he did not return,” he said.
“Later, we filed a missing report with the Police. We thought that he might have been kidnapped by someone. Now it is clear where he has gone. There is nothing that needs to be kept under wraps,” Sehrai said.
He, however, said there is no discussion about his son’s joining of militancy in any of the Hurriyat meetings. “It was not discussed at all. It is not that the father will handle the political front and the son will handle the armed front of the freedom struggle,” he said, adding that TeH meeting was called to discuss the routine affairs of the party.
The separatist leader also slammed the government for keeping separatists in prisons and under house arrest to foil the holding of elections of the key separatist outfit. He said that the elections were “due for the last two years”.
“The whole leadership has been put behind bars. Our crucial party elections are due for a long time. The elections were scheduled to be held in 2016,” he said.
Sehrai said that their primary focus presently is to hold the TeH elections. “We are working under an adhoc system. There is no permanent system in place as the elections were not held for the last two years. We are working out things of how to conduct the elections,” he added.
He said the government should give them a space to conduct elections.
“The meeting which was held on Sunday was over the issue of elections in the party and on the prevailing situation. Government isn’t giving us any space to hold the elections. We should be allowed to hold the elections,” he said.
Courtesy: Rising Kaashmir
