Syed Ali Geelani, who heads the hardline faction of Jammu and Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat Conference, is the only leader to condemn the US operation to kill al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
No other separatist leader has publicly reacted to the US killing Osama, who was housed in a mansion in Abbottabad near the Pakistan capital Islamabad. Geelani had told a news agency on Monday that Osama was “a martyr who died fighting US oppression in Afghanistan".
“He was a symbol of resistance against the US and he was martyred while defending the Muslims.” The octogenarian separatist leader, however, added that he had no animosity with the people of US. “We condemned 9/11 attacks as they were terrorist acts. But since then the US has killed lakhs of Muslims in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq.”
Even common people have maintained silence on the killing of Osama, who masterminded the 9/11 terror attack. However, in private circles, the US operation in Pakistan is being debated and even questioned.
“How could anyone, including the US, operate in Abbottabad close to the military academy there without the knowledge of Pakistan," asked a political science teacher who did not wish to be named. Despite apprehensions, there has been no public outburst in the Kashmir Valley over the death of the al Qaeda leader.
It has been business as usual since Monday when news came in of Osama's killing. Authorities had sounded a high alert, fearing a law and order situation in the aftermath of the Abbottabad incident. “It is quite encouraging that the situation continues to remain normal here. We are hopeful things would remain normal in the coming days as well. The Osama development has not affected life in Jammu and Kashmir state as good sense prevailed on the people here," said a senior police officer here.