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2 top APHC leaders

escape attempt

on lives: journalist

found dead in river

NEW DELHI: Two top All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Abdul Ghani Lone and escaped an attempt on their lives in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night, sources said.

Sources said body of Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, journalist-turned-human rights activist, was found from Jhelum river at Rampore town of Pulwama district on Thursday.

While Hurriyat leaders, Abdul Ghani Lone and Syed Ali Shah Geelani said the "renegades" under the cover of Indian intelligence agencies and troops carried out attack on their lives, relatives and natives of Sheikh Ghulam Rasool alleged that he was murdered by Indian Security Forces. However the officials denied the charge.

According to sources a powerful grenade was hurled into the house of Lone by some armed persons however, the Hurriyat leader and his family escaped unhurt in the explosion which damaged their house. Two hours later, a bomb was lobbed at Syed Ali Shah Geelani's house but he too escaped unhurt in the explosion.

This was the fifth attempt on the lives of the two prominent Hurriyat leaders, spear-heading the pro-plebiscite Kashmir movement, in the past one year.

Sources said body of Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, with brutal marks, was retrieved from Jhelum river at Rampore town of Pulwama district.

The heinous murder of Ghulam Rasool Sheikh, editor of Rahnuma-e-Kashmir activist, sent a wave of shock and anger accross the Indian held Kashmir valley.

According to a PTV report, Ghulam Rasool Sheikh was arrested 20 days back in Pampur and his body was recovered from river Jhelum on Thursday.-APP