Deepening the divide among separatists over the Kashmir peace process, militants today attacked the Srinagar home of Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is to leave for New Delhi on January 17 and then travel to Pakistan for a dialogue with President Musharraf.

The Mirwaiz, who was in Jammu at the time of the attack, said he would not be cowed down by such attempts. Though no one was injured in the attack, there were widespread protests throughout Srinagar with people shouting slogans against Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of the rival hardline Hurriyat faction.

The attack took place around noon when a grenade landed near the boundary wall of the Mirwaiz home, a few metres short of a tin shed housing policemen on guard duty.

As the grenade exploded, policemen fired several rounds and the entire locality came to a standstill. The firing, said policemen there, lasted for ten minutes and was “in response to militant fire which followed the grenade”.

Kashmir IGP S M Sahai said “the attack is linked to ongoing political activities... on our part, we have taken every step to protect the life of the Mirwaiz”.

Angry over the attack, people protested in the streets of Rajouri Kadal, Nowhatta and Khaniyar, shutting down shops and pelting stones at police. At Lal Chowk too, they shouted slogans against Geelani.

The attack came at a time when there’s deep division among separatists over the peace process. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, speaking to The Indian Express, said he was “undeterred” by the attack. “The Hurriyat will go ahead with its programme, come what may. Our mission is to work for an acceptable settlement of Kashmir. Nobody can take us away from this path. There are some political forces who are using militancy for own petty ends, trying to establish their political hegemony. Let them know that we will not be cowed down by such attacks.”

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