Crowds protest arrest of Kashmir independence leader

Indian police have fired tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators who gathered to protest against the arrest yesterday of Yasin Malik, the leader of the Kashmir Liberation Front.

The protestors had gathered in Srinigar, the capital of disputed Kashmir province, and began throwing stones when confronted by police. Mr Malik, a leading proponent of Kashmiri independence from Indian rule, was arrested yesterday after police arrested a woman with $100,000 (€114,000) allegedly intended for the separatist leader.

He was charged under the Foreign Exchange Movement Act, but was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, which allows him to be held without trial for six months. Opposition parties have already criticised the ordinance, saying it would be used against innocent Muslims.