NC minister holds function on Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq's death

A senior National Conference Minister today organized a function at his official residence to pay tributes to Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, father of Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on his 23rd death anniversary.
Minister of State Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and MLA Zadibal Peer Afaq Ahmad were also present at the event organized by Minister for Rural Development Ali Mohammad Sagar at his Church Lane residence. Farooq was shot dead by militants inside his home on May 21, 1990.
The event was staged even as authorities disallowed Hurriyat Conference to hold a similar function at Eidgah graveyard where Farooq and another separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone are buried.

The entire top brass of separatist leaders including the amalgam chairman have been put under house arrest to prevent them from holding the rally.
Lone was shot dead by militants on this day in 2002 during a commemorative rally for Farooq.
Although mainstream political parties have paid tributes to Farooq on his death anniversary through media statements, this is perhaps for the first time a function has been organized by any minister for a leader whose legacy is solely claimed by the separatist outfits.

The function was held against the backdrop of Sagar reportedly expressing hope that the Hurriyat Chairman would join hands with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to revive the friendship between their fathers for the betterment of the people.

Farooq Abdullah and the slain Mirwaiz had entered into a loose alliance in 1980s which was popularly known as "Double Farooq" accord. However, Mirwaiz's Awami Action Committee ruled out such a possibility.
Sagar hung up the phone when asked about the function and also did not respond to a query sent through SMS as well.