This Article is From Sep 18, 2010

Hurriyat leader Geelani withdraws protest against Army

Srinagar: Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has withdrawn plans to stage protest marches to Army camps on September 21.

Geelani has also asked people to send letters through the Internet to the Army.

Earlier on Friday, Hurriyat spokesperson Ayaz Akbar had told NDTV that the separatists have dropped plans to stage the protest marches.

"There will be no protest outside Army camps. We will send a petition to the army through the Internet, asking them to withdraw from Kashmir," Akbar had said.

On Thursday, the Army has appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain calm and avoid confronting Army garrisons at the instance of Hurriyat leaders.

In its public appeal, the Army had said that it has always been a "People's Army", but that the Hurriyat is trying to create a wedge between the army and the people. It appealed to Kashmiris to avoid falling into the "trap" of Hurriyat leaders.

Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had earlier announced a new protest calendar that included a plan to protest outside army camps on September 21.
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