Hurriyat ready to cooperate: Geelani

SRINAGAR, AUG. 1. The Hurriyat Conference today said it has not closed the doors for talks with the Centre and the dialogue should be aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue and not just to ``fulfill formalities''. ``We have not closed our doors for talks but we are not interested in talks for the sake of it,'' the former Hurriyat chairman and Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, told reporters here.

The Hurriyat will extend full cooperation to every positive move and step taken by the Centre to resolve the Kashmir issue. Asked what would be the response of Hurriyat if there is a fresh proposal for talks from the Centre, Mr. Geelani said the proposal or invitation for talks will be discussed at the Hurriyat executive.

Shabir Shah detained

Police today took into preventive custody the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) president, Mr. Shabir Ahmad Shah, and 14 party workers for violating prohibitory orders when they tried to take out a protest march here.

Mr. Shah, who was placed under house arrest early today following information that he was scheduled to lead a protest rally, was detained when he broke a police cordon and tried to take out the procession from his residence.

Police lathicharged to disperse JKDFP supporters and workers, who had assembled at Mr. Shah's residence. But when they failed to disperse, police took Mr. Shah and his 14 party activists into preventive custody.

Others detained by police included the JKDFP general secretary, Moulvi Mohammad Abdullah Tari, and its spokesman, Syed Saleem Geelani, sources said, adding they were lodged at the police division of Nowgam.

- PTI

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