Iftar politics: Pak plays with Hurriyat

‘‘Anybody who wants to go can go. But I will tell you, I will not attend this party,’’ said Ansari who heads the dove camp. ‘‘I don’t know about anybody else.’’

Pakistan’s stand is hardly a surprise, said a senior dove leader seeking anonymity. ‘‘After all, Pakistan had a direct role in the Hurriyat split. If they will not recognise the rebel group, who will?’’ The Geelani camp, however, is crowing. A senior member of the hawk group, G N Hubbi, told The Indian Express that a four-member delegation, led by Geelani and including G N Sumjhi, Agha Sayeed and himself, will attend. ‘‘Three of us are, in fact, leaving tomorrow and Geelani Sahib will join us later,’’ he said. ‘‘We have plans to meet diplomats at British, French and American embassies in New Delhi.’’

Pak Deputy High Commissioner Munawar Bhaty told The Indian Express that there was ‘‘no point’’ in getting into who had been addressed as what in the Iftar invites. On Ansari’s boycott, he said: ‘‘We will see on that day who comes and who doesn’t.’’ Incidentally, Geelani and his rebels were covered by Pakistan TV as if they were the ‘‘real Hurriyat,’’ with PTV claiming, falsely, that Geelani was unanimously elected chairman.

PTI reports: In a further snub to the Ansari-led faction, the other members invited along with Geelani have also been conferred titles which they officially don’t hold. Aga Syed Hussain has been referred to as chief of the Anjuman-e-Sharin-Shia (actually headed by Ansari), Ghulam Mohammed Hubbi as chief of the Peoples’ Conference (actually headed by Bilal and Sajjad Lone) and Ghulam Nabi Sumji as president of the Muslim Conference (actually headed by former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat).