Srinagar, Sept 07: The Kashmiri separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference today headed for a split as 13 of its 25 constituents expressed no confidence in the new chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari. The 13 constituents met at the Hyderpora residence of firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and took a decision to this effect.
The representatives, mostly from the general council of the Hurriyat are understood to have chosen Masrat Alam as the interim chairman of the umbrella organisation and also suspended the seven-member executive committee of the amalgam.
A five-member committee was also formed to review the Hurriyat constitution and suggest necessary amendments to end the "autocratic" decisions taken by the executive committee.
The new committee comprises Alam, Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, Syedullah Tantray, Ghulam Mohammad Hubbi and Aga Syed Hassan Budgami.
Ansari, meanwhile, told that he was not bothered by the latest developments taking place within the Hurriyat. He said there was no question of the Hurriyat breaking and those who choose to part ways with the amalgam were "free to do so".
Another senior Hurriyat executive leader termed the meeting as unconstitutional and said the executive would meet very soon to discuss the developments.
The newly formed five-member committee was also authorised to take up the issue of non-attendance of the Awami action committee of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front headed by Mohammad Yaseen Malik at today's meeting in Geelani's residence.
The developments follow a prolonged war of words between Geelani and People's Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone.
Geelani, upon his release from Ranchi jail early this year had alleged that People's Conference had taken part in last year's assembly elections through proxy candidates. The Jamaat has been seeking the expulsion of the People's Conference from the conglomerate and has abstained from all Hurriyat activities till the party was expelled.
Geelani got support from many general council members some of whom were not happy with Ansari's election as the new chairman as Jamaat had not participated in the polls.
Geelani had described Ansari's election as "unconstitutional" and not tenable and was supported by general council.
Sajjad Gani Lone, however, denied the allegations and said "some say we fought the last elections. But we insist that it is wrong and we have not made any compromise on our ideology.
"I am not part of the mufti government by proxy as alleged. This government is a manifestation of the Indian government," Lone said addressing party workers in Jammu.
He admitted that there were differences between the Hurriyat and said "there is a fight between moderates and hardliners". "Geelani had been levelling allegations against my father like he is now doing against me," Lone said adding that he wanted to prove the Jamaat leader's assessment wrong that Kashmir issue is religious in nature.
Those who were present at the Hurriyat meeting included Sumjhi (Muslim Conference), Hubbi (People's Conference), Geelani (Jamaat), Budgami (Anjuman-e-Shar-e-Shian), Nayeem Khan (National Front), Yasmeen Raja (Muslim Khawateen Markaz), Fareeda Behenji (Kashmir Mass Movement), Ghulam Mohammad Khan Sopuri (People's League Rehmani), Alam (Muslim League), Firdous Ahmad Shah (Democratic Political Movement), G Q Hagroo (People's League), G Amir (Jammu Freedom Movement) and Tantray (Jammu Freedom Movement).
Bureau Report