Hurriyat leader remains critical

The condition of senior separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi continued to be critical on Saturday morning after he was injured in an attack by terrorists near his house in Soura locality of Srinagar on Friday evening.

Doctors attending on him in the Valley's premier institute of medical sciences said 65-year-old Qureshi has been put on ventilator and that his condition was being monitored.

"The next 48 hours are crucial and hopefully he may do well," a senior doctor told rediff.com on Saturday morning.

A little known militant group Al-Nasreen has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile Home Minister P Chidamabaram has condemened the "cowardly" attack on Qureshi and said he was distressed by it. He added that the 'quiet' talks between Centre and the parties would continue, so as to reach a peacful solution to Kashmir.

A team of highly specialised doctors at the institute operated upon Qureshi on Friday night as he was brought in a critical condition to the institute.

The moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference has called for a shutdown in the Valley on Saturday protesting against the attack.