Islamabad, Sept 10: Even as Pakistan weighed its options to take a stand over the divisions in the Hurriyat Conference, the opposition Jamat-e-Islami and the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen declared their support for the separatist outfit headed by pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Gilani. "Gilani is a leader of national standing and has played a role in the Kashmir throughout his life. That's why JI would support him if he became the chief of the APHC," Ejaz Afzal Khan, leader of the JI unit of the PoK, told reporters here yesterday.
Khan said if divisions materialised in the Hurriyat, JI would support the faction favouring Kashmir's accession to Pakistan.
"Though the decision of a no-trust move against Abbas Ansari was hard, it was the decision of the majority vote among Hurriyat member parties, and JI would support that decision," he said. "Though the decision of a no-trust move against Abbas Ansari was hard, it was the decision of the majority vote among Hurriyat member parties, and JI would support that decision," he said.
In its reaction, Hizbul Mujahideen, considered an armed wing of the JI, said it would throw its weight behind Gilani, who was reported to have the backing of the militant outfits, however, maintaining that there would be no split in the Hurriyat.
Hizbul spokesman Saleem Hashimi was quoted as saying by a local newspaper that Gilani was their leader and his integrity was unquestionable. Hashimi said there would be no split in the Hurriyat and that differences were a routine matter under a democratic system.
the reactions of the JI and Hizbul followed remarks by a government spokesman on Monday that media reports about the differences in APHC have been exaggerated and hoped that it would sort out the problems.
Meanwhile, even the government was non-committal about the split in the Hurriyat Conference. The state media has given prominence to the views expressed by the Gilani action in its news bulletins, ever since divisions surfaced in the separatist amalgam last weekend. Bureau Report