Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) on Wednesday paid tributes to assasinated pro-freedom leaders Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammed Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone on their 13th and 18th anniversaries respectively on 21 May.

As per a statement issued to a local news agency, Hurriyat (M) also paid tributes to the Hawal martyrs.

“Shaheed Mirwaiz was a great preacher and religious scholar , whose services in the educational and social upliftment of his people will always be recalled with respect,” the statement said. “He was an advocate of the realisation of the will of the people of J&K in deciding their future, as well as a great believer of peace between the neighbouring countries of India and Pakistan.”

The Hurriyat, in the statement, said that Abdul Ghani Lone was “a heedful and fearless leader who sacrificed his life for his belief in a peaceful and pro people resolution of the Kashmir issue. His contribution in the formation of people’s platform of Hurriyat conference is unforgettable”.

Hurriyat (M) reiterated that it will pursue the vision and mission of these leaders in seeking a resolution of the Kashmir conflict. Commemoration services in their memories would not be held this year, the statement said, owing to health advisories “to maintain social and physical distance and the subsequent lockdown due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic”.

The Hurriyat “requested” the public to offer prayers at home for the assassinated leaders, the victims of the Hawal massacre and all those slain during the freedom struggle in Kashmir from 1931. KNO