Geelani aide shot dead

Pir Hisamuddin, a relative and close aide of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his residenc...

Pir Hisamuddin, a relative and close aide of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his residence here today. Hisamuddin, an advocate, had been working with Geelani for the last 35 years. Political observers here fear that the murder may force Geelani to raise his anti-India rhetoric and further harden his stance on the Kashmir issue.

In fact, within minutes of the murder, Geelani8217;s supporters reached his house in the Bemina suburbs and blamed security agencies for the killing, saying it was designed to weaken their party8217;s resolve.

But Kashmir DIG Mohammad Amin Shah denied the allegations and said a manhunt was on to nab the culprits. 8216;8216;At least five bullets were aimed at Hisamuddin and two hit him. We8217;ve registered a case and investigation is on,8217;8217; he said.

Geelani, who8217;s currently in New Delhi, told The Indian Express that Hisamuddin 8216;8216;was killed because he was dedicated to the separatist movement and was too close to me8217;8217;.

8216;8216;It8217;s a personal loss as I have known him since his student days. He was a cousin of my late wife too,8217;8217; he said. Geelani is expected to return to the Valley tomorrow to lead the funeral prayers at Srinagar. The Hurriyat has also called for a general strike tomorrow in the Valley to protest the killing.

nbsp;	Patil to visit J-K on Oct 23

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According to Hisamuddin8217;s son Pir Shaheen, two youths knocked at the door of their house at 10.20 a.m., asking for an appointment with the advocate. Then, they handed him some files, which he began to browse through, when one of the two whipped out a pistol and shot him point-blank, killing him on the spot.

8216;8216;He was preparing to go out when there was a knock at the,8217;8217; said Shaheen, a law student. 8216;8216;We don8217;t know who these persons were.8217;8217;

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But senior Hurriyat leader and Jamat-I-Islami activist Mohammad Ashraf Saharai, who was among the mourners here, alleged that people opposed to their objective may have killed Hisamuddin.