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Lone alleges unholy alliance between Geelani and Mufti
New Delhi, Nov 16: Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone has alleged that ``there is a covert unholy alliance`` between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Hurriyat (breakaway) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
''Geelani's closest associates facilitated the victory of
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in the last year's state assembly elections.
I am convinced that there is a covert unholy alliance between Sayeed and,'' Lone told Pakistan's The Friday Times
in an interview.
''Geelani is no sacred cow as depicted by the media in
Pakistan. He is as dear to Kashmiris as Qazi Hussain Ahmed
is to the Pakistanis,'' he added.
About Geelani's accusations that the peoples conference had
fielded proxy candidates in the last year's elections, Lone said,
''Geelani's accusations against me are an extension of
the vicious politics he played with my father, Abdul Gani Lone. He
created a vicious environment by issuing similar statements against
my father, which culminated in his assassination. He is in the
process of recreating the same environment.''
The Peoples Conference leader said he is not against the concept
of elections. ''But there is a need to fight the Indian viewpoint
that elections are a substitute for plebiscite. The truth is they
are not. The elections are meant to elect people who will provide an
administrative team to run the state,'' he added.
About the murder of his father, Lone said, ''at the spur of
the moment I did accuse the ISI. But I do not have any proof to
substantiate my accusation. However, neither the ISI nor RAW is
sacred. I have stayed in Pakistan and have a lot of Pakistani
friends. I have nothing but contempt for all the covert agencies,
especially in south Asia. They have done the most to harm their own
people who they claim to defend or represent.''
He described Geelani as a ''party-less wonder'' claiming to
head a coalition of parties called the Hurriyat.
''Let Geelani name the party he represents. He is a
party-less wonder claiming to head a coalition of parties called
Hurriyat. There is no doubt in my mind that Abbas Ansari is
the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference,'' Lone told the
newspaper.
Bureau Report