Geelani denounces his biographer “custodial disappearance”

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Monday denounced the “custodial disappearance” of his biographer, Dr. Shafi Shariati.
“The family of Dr. Shariati should be immediately informed about his whereabouts,” Geelani said alleging that Shariati had been arrested six days ago and shifted to an unknown location. “No information is being provided in violation of Supreme Court ruling that asks for information to be provided to a detainee’s family within 24 hours of arrest. But in Kashmir there is no law and police can do whatever it wants,” he said
Geelani said Shariati was a Phd scholar and there was no justification for his arrest and “custodial disappearance.”
“The concerns of Shariat’s family about his whereabouts are not misplaced because Kashmir happens to be a place where ten thousand people have subjected to enforced disappearance,” he said.
Geelani said the “criminal silence” of international community had only “encouraged” India to commit more “war crimes in Kashmir.”
He urged Amnesty International to raise the issue of enforced disappearances and press India to clarify its position on the issue.
Geelani reiterated his call for peaceful protests at district headquarters against what he termed the “miserable plight” of political prisoners.