Pro-freedom slogans rent the air at two places in Srinagar on Wednesday after special prayers were offered on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Men, women and children, dressed in their best on the occasion of Eid, raised pro-freedom slogans at Eidgah, a vast ground in city's interior and the Tourist Reception Centre in the heart of Srinagar on Wednesday soon after special Eid prayers.
Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq addressed the gathering at Eidgah while chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Mohammad Yaseen Malik addressed the gathering at the TRC.
The separatist leaders asked people to make their call for 'Lal Chowk march', on October 6, a grand success.
Geelani in his address said steps had been taken to ensure that the proposed march would be a peaceful affair. The coordination committee spearheading the ongoing struggle had formed a volunteer force to ensure discipline during the march, he said.
"No stones or provocative slogans will be raised during the march demanding right to self determination for Kashmirs would be peaceful," he said.
The coordination committee, comprising of all separatists organisations had given the call for a peaceful march to Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, on October 6.
The committee reiterated its resolve to make the march a success.
Geelani and Farooq appealed to the international community to visit Kashmir to see for themselves the peaceful way in which the protests would be organised.
They threatened to launch a stir if the administration did not release all those detained during the recent protests in the Valley.
Farooq cautioned the Centre against pursuing short term traditional policies to deal with the ongoing struggle in Jammu and Kashmir today hoped that India and Pakistan would initiate measures to institutionalise the dialogue process to resolve Kashmir issue.
"We are hopeful that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, besides taking forward the confidence building measures between the two countries, will start institutionalisation of the dialogue process to solve the Kashmir issue with seriousness and ensure involvement of Kashmiris in it," Mirwaiz said.
He assured the two countries of "full support" of Hurriyat conference in the resolution process of Kashmir.
Mirwaiz said "our sincere advice to the Indian government is to speed up the dialogue process, release the political prisoners, revoke armed forces special powers act and commence troops withdrawal."
"There is an urgent need for resolution of Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people for everlasting peace, prosperity and political stability of this region," Mirwaiz said.
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