OMAR ABDULLAH CRITICISES HURRIYAT OVER KASHMIR STRIKE

Srinagar Feb 22 (Only Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today criticised the hardline Hurriyat faction's strike call against Delhi Police's restrictions on Syed Ali Shah Geelani in connection with the hawala money case against the separatist leader.
"If people want to shut down because someone's hawala money is alleged to have been caught then so be it," Omar tweeted on micro-blogging site Twitter over the Kashmir shutdown today.
The chief minister was replying to the queries posed to him by several Kashmiri youth on the social networking site.
"In a land where we don't think twice before shutting down for 4 months, neither tourism nor education work," he said.
Normal life in Kashmir was affected today following a strike call given by Hurriyat hardline faction to protest against the restriction order against its Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, barring him from leaving the national capital.
Clarifying the news spread through social networks and media over the arrest of Geelani in New Delhi, Omar had ysterday said there is no arrest warrant (issued against Geelani).
"There is no arrest warrant (issued against Geelani). He has only been asked to record his statement in connection with his alleged hawala money (by Delhi Police)," Omar had tweeted.
The recently unearthed hawala trail in the Kashmir Valley points to money being allegedly passed to senior Hurriyat leaders, including Geelani, following which the separatist leader has been asked not to leave Delhi.
Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, founded by Geelani, had called for a shutdown today against the restrictions on the hardline Hurriyat chairman.
The Delhi Police wants to question Geelani in connection with a hawala case in which his close aide Ghulam Mohammad Bhat and two others have already been arrested.