In a setback to the Hurriyat moderates, several hardliners figure among the list of separatists who have got an invite from Islamabad for a forthcoming visit to the country. This includes Dukhtaran-e-Millat leader Asiya Andrabi, who has never been given much prominence by Pakistan.
Moreover, the chief of the Hurriyat hawkish faction, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has been addressed as Hurriyat chairman in the invite to him.
This is a clear snub to Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, the leader of the moderates, regarded as the sole chairman of the Hurriyat Conference. In earlier invites, Geelani used to be referred to as just buzurg rehnuma (veteran leader).
Apart from Mirwaiz, Geelani and Andrabi, invites have gone out to JKLF chief Yasin Malik, two executive members of the moderate Hurriyat Shabir Shah and Agha Syed Hassan, and president of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom.
Geelani calls for an end to stone-pelting
srinagar: Troubled by frequent incidents of stone pelting, J&K Police would have been relieved on Thursday when Chairman of Hurriyats hardline faction Syed Ali Geelani asked people to desist from stone-pelting. There should be peaceful protests after Friday prayers, Geelani said in his first address after returning from Delhi, where he spent the winter on the advice of doctors. I appeal to my supporters that nobody should resort to stone pelting. Geelanis statement comes at a time when stone-pelting,which has become an almost everyday affair now,is being widely debated across the Valley, particularly after the death of an 11-day-old baby allegedly during rioting by stone pelters in Baramulla last month.
Geelani also referred to the incident. About the death of the infant, doctors say he died of pneumonia, he said. But if he died of stone-pelting , it is a case of indiscipline. We cant tolerate it.
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Interesting development. GoP instead of continuing to work on the steps taken by Musharraf to resolve the Kashmir issue does not want to go there anymore. Moreover, its boosting marginal sections of Kashmir instead of engaging with mainstream or even the mainstream leaders within the Hurriyat movement.
On the second report, doctors clearly mentioned "compressional injury to the head" as cause of death. So either he is ignorant or willfully distorting the issue. In any case, stone throwers have been shown that they are in a minority and with his statement we should hopefully see the end to it.