Separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani quits Hurriyat Conference, cites 'rebellion against leadership' as reason

Geelani, 90, who has been under house arrest since August 2019, reportedly distanced himself from All party Hurriyat Conference citing rebellion against leadership by cadres as one of the reasons.

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New Delhi: In a major development in Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir-based separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani resigned as chairman of All party Hurriyat conference on Monday (June 29). 

The statement read, "Chairman All party Hurriyat conference  Janab Ali Geelani Sayed has announced total separation from the forum of All party Hurriyat Konfranse.  He said, I had sent a detailed letter to the Hurriyat members of the forum stating that in keeping in view the current situation of the Hurriyat Conference, I announce total separation for this forum."

Geelani, 90, who has been under house arrest since August 2019, reportedly distanced himself from All party Hurriyat Conference due to certain reasons which made him take the decision. 

Geelani has not issued any statement about his membership in own party Tehreek Hurriyat Conference, which is headed by Mohammad Ashraf Sehari. Ashraf Sehari's son Junaid Sehari was a top commander of Hizbul and was killed during an encounter in Kanimazar area of Srinagar. 

All Party Hurriyat Conference is an amalgam of all separatist groups in Kashmir.

It is to be noted that Geelani had led the separatist movement in Kashmir since the 1990s and was a lifelong chairman of the Hurriyat. He was previously a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir, but later on founded his own party Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, in which he continues to remain a member.

Geelani became an MLA from Sopore constituency in 1972 and won in the Assembly polls from the same constituency in 1977 and 1987.