Srinagar, August 10
Breakaway Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was put under house arrest since early this morning, official sources said. They said it was a preventive arrest.

A spokesman of the Hurriyat Conference, Aiyaz Akbar, said a large number of police personnel surrounded the Hyderpora residence Geelani at 04:30 am this morning.

Geelani was later informed by senior officers that he had been arrested.

“You can not leave your house till further orders,” Geelani was informed by the officer.

The Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police had arrested Sarwar Ayub, son of Akbar, yesterday, triggering protests at Malroo. Akbar was scheduled to address the Friday congregation at Jamia Mosque, Machoo. — UNI

Srinagar, August 10
A week ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the police and security agencies have beefed up security around Bakshi Stadium, venue of the main function and at other vital installations here. Security has also been tightened at the district headquarters across the Kashmir valley to thwart the designs of militants.

Iqbal Park, a picnic spot, which came up at the erstwhile Hazoori Bagh, close to the stadium, has been closed to the public since last week. The only restaurant run by Jammu and Kashmir Bank at the park is functioning.

Jammu, August 10
Nearly 12,000 militancy- related migrants of Jammu division are being given “step- motherly” treatment by the Jammu and Kashmir government by denying them relief and rehabilitation on a par with Kashmiri migrants. They have been living in unhygienic conditions in slums at Talwara in Reasi district and Belicharana, near here.

These migrants were beaten up mercilessly and tear-gassed by the police on Tuesday near Katra while they were marching towards Delhi to highlight their miseries.

Like Kashmiris, they too were forced to migrate to safer places at Talwara and outskirts of Jammu following a series of massacres, particularly of those belonging to the Hindu community after 1989 in the remote villages of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri. However, the Jammu migrants were being discriminated against by denying the relief package being provided to the Kashmiri migrants.

The only difference was that while the exodus from the valley was in one go, the migrants from the Jammu areas came to the camps whenever there was a major terrorist incident in some particular place.

The migrants camping at Talwara were provided some relief till March, 2004, but after that they have virtually been reduced to beggary. The migrants were afraid of returning to their homes because terrorism still prevails in these areas.