Srinagar, December 06: The condition of senior separatist Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, who was shot at by militants of Al-Nasreen outfit outside a mosque in Srinagar, continues to be critical on Saturday.
Doctors attending on him at the Soura Medical Institute here said Qureshi’s condition was critical as he has suffered significant brain damage.
Qureshi, who heads the Peoples Political Front, was fired from point blank range by militants around 6.30 PM while he was returning home after offering evening prayers on Friday.
The 65-year-old moderate face of the separatist outfit was known for his simple ways and travelled in a bus refusing police security.
Al-Nasreen militant outfit, believed to be a front of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying he was playing a key role in the talks with the Centre.
Qureshi was behind the first-ever peace talks between terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen and the Central government in 2000. The militant group was led by Abdul Majid Dar.
Although the talks failed to make any headway, he engaged in talks with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani again but pulled out of the second round in protest against alleged human rights violations in the state.
Chidambaram condemns attack
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said in a statement in New Delhi that the attack on Qureshi was a cowardly attempt by those who do not wish that the problems of Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved through talks and in a peaceful manner.
The correct response at this hour is not to be cowed down by these violent acts or allow fear to interrupt the process of quiet diplomacy,” he said.
Noting that he was happy to read the statements of the Mirwaiz and others who have vowed to continue their efforts to find a peaceful solution through talks with the Centre, Chidambaram said “on our part, I assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that we remain committed to finding a solution through quiet talks with every shade of political opinion in the state.”
—Agencies