Journalism of Courage
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.
Qayoom is considered a staunch ideological ally of Geelani. Earlier Hurriyat staples for such visits Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone have been overlooked.
The Hurriyat moderates are seeing Pakistans move as a volte-face after years of constructive engagement between them and the Central government for dialogue and reconciliation on Kashmir. Islamabad has even overlooked Mirwaizs prerogative to choose his team and instead picked Shah and Hassan on its own. According to sources,there is strong internal pressure on Mirwaiz not to go.
Pakistans move seems to be another attempt to get back in favour with Geelani,including with assurances that former president Pervez Musharrafs four-point proposals no longer determine its agenda on Kashmir.
Playing down the development on Thursday,Mirwaiz asserted that all separatists had stakes in the resolution of Kashmir. However,he acknowledged some differences with the government in Islamabad. Yes there are issues on which we disagree. And we do bring these up in our meetings with the leadership of the country, Mirwaiz told The Indian Express before leaving to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
He added he would take a decision on visiting Pakistan after the Hurriyat discusses the matter at a forthcoming meeting of its executive and general council.
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.
