Srinagar, May 14: Spurning overtures of hardline leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads the breakaway faction of the Hurriyat, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) today said the organisation would not extend support to his group for the time being. "JeI has decided to adhere to its Majlis-e-Shoura (advisory council) decision of December last year that the organisation will not extend support to Geelani led Hurriyat Conference for the time being," spokesman of the organisation Zahid Ali said in a statement here.


The statement of JeI comes barely four days after Geelani, in a bid to garner more support for his hardline faction, despatched letters to JKLF chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah, JeI chief Nazir Ahmad Kashani, president bar association Mian Qayoom, People`s League chairman Sheikh Abdul Aziz and presidents of Anjuman-e-Tableeg-ul-Islam and Jamiat-e-Ahlihadees, inviting them to join his Hurriyat faction.

Ali said majority of the JeI members, during an emergency meeting of its Central Advisory Council, decided to adhere to the last year decision that the organisation will not extend support to Geelani for the time being.

However, the meeting authorised the central body of the party to step up its efforts for unity, the spokesman said at the end of two-day long meeting.

The other groups approached by Geelani had reserved their comments on the issue.

The groups have recently formed an alliance named Ittehaadi force (unity force) to intensify efforts aimed at bringing both factions of Hurriyat Conference besides other separatist organisations on a common platform.
Bureau Report