Srinagar: Soon after the government decided to withdraw the security of the Mirwaiz and four other separatist leaders, Hurriyat (M) said they the leaders had never asked for security from the government.

“Hurriyat leaders had never asked for security and that it was the government that insisted on keeping the personnel based on their threat perception,” said a Hurriyat (M) spokesman.

“The government and its propagandist anti Kashmir media had repeatedly been raking up the issue of police personnel provided to resistance Leadership to politicise, knowing fully well it has no bearing nor can it in any way change the reality of the lingering Kashmir dispute or the situation on ground or our principled stand and outlook regarding its resolution,” he said.

The spokesman said the issue of Kashmir will remain the same “with or without these police personnel at Hurriyat residence”.

The spokesman said whenever the security issue has been made centre stage, Mirwaiz has repeatedly said from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid that the Government can withdraw it.

“The Hurriyat leaders had never asked for it (security). In fact, it was the government that insisted on keeping the personnel based on what they said was their assessment of threat perception,” he said, adding that “it was the Government decision at that time to keep it, today it’s their decision to remove it. It’s not an issue for us.”