World Bulletin / News Desk

 Hundreds of people ignored the warning from the Home Minister that waving of Pakistani flags won’t be tolerated, Pakistani flags were waved and saffron party BJP’s flag burnt during a rally of senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

Police arrested the leader alongwith two of his colleagues after registering a case against them.

Shah, who was once called “Prisoner of Conscience” and “Nelson Mandela of Kashmir”, addressed a public rally this afternoon in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag, some 53 kms south of Srinagar, summer capital of the State.

In his address, the leader praised Pakistan for its efforts towards the resolution of Kashmir issue. “Despite being entangled in so many hardships, Pakistan never stepped back from lending political, diplomatic and moral support to us at international level”.

During Shah’s rally, his supporters waved Pakistani flags and chanted pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans.

The crowd also brunt the flag of saffron party BJP, which is part of coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah was returning to his home in Srinagar, when he as well as colleagues Mohammad Abdullah Tariq and Molvi Bashir was arrested.

The waving of Pakistan flags and chanting or pro-Pakistan slogans came despite recent warning from Home Minister that such acts won’t be tolerated.

This is the 4th incident of waving of Pakistani flags during separatist rallies in the Valley since April 15.

Leader Syed Ali Geelani’s close aide Masarat Alam was arrested and booked under stringent PSA on April 17 and lodged in Jammu jail for waving Pakistani flags and chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a separatist rally held on April 15 to welcome arrival of Geelani from national capital.

The spokesman for BJP in Kashmir, Khalid Jehangir, strongly condemned the waving of Pakistani flag and burning of party flag.