Muslim militant groups on Friday welcomed the makeup of a Hurriyat Conference team planning to visit Pakistan on January 15 for talks on the Kashmir issue. Militant groups applauded the Hurriyat leaders for balancing the five-men team with representatives who favour Kashmir's accession to Pakistan and those who want Kashmir's independence.
"The team is balanced. There were rumours that the separatists house is divided between moderates and extremists but now this confusion is finished," Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Salim Hashmi said. The Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, which had recently warned Hurriyat leaders not to bring an Indian agenda when they visit Pakistan, was also satisfied with the team. These people undoubtedly have a role in the freedom struggle as they have been fighting on the political front, LeT spokesman spokesman Abu Usama said. The five executive members chosen for the proposed mission were Abdul Ghani Lone and Omer Farooq, both pro-independence, Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Syed Ali Geelani (pro-Pakistan) and Abbas Ansari, who comes somewhere in the middle.
Bureau Report