SRINAGAR, May 8: Cracks in the moderate Hurriyat Conference widened today with supporters of rival groups chanting slogans against each other even as chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq issued a gag order on amalgam constituents from airing differences in public.
The Storm that hit the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference after its former Chairman’s comments that termed UN resolutions on Kashmir were “practically inapplicable” is refusing to calm down.
Signs of a widening gulf between the members who opposed the comment and others were quite evident as supporters of two senior leaders, Bilal Gani Lone and Shabir Ahmed Shah, chanted slogans in favour of their respective leaders outside the party headquarters.
Shah is among the leaders of the Hurriyat who had opposed Bhat, saying his comments were “detrimental to the Kashmir cause”.
The leaders had gathered for an important meeting of the Executive Council of the party held today after media reports that the party was on the verge of splitting over the comments made by their colleague, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Chairman of the Hurriyat (Mirwaiz) Moulvi Umer Farooq said, “I want to make it clear that the United Nations’ resolutions on Kashmir form the bedrock of our struggle. We believe the UN has a role to play and we appeal to them to fulfill their responsibilities.”
“UN resolutions cannot practically be implemented… which in my opinion is complex. These resolutions may not be implemented at all. Therefore we have to explore the possibilities of finding a solution of the problem through dialogue,” Prof Bhat had told a mass gathering in North Kashmir’s Sopore district on Sunday.
Bhat had also called for a common minimum political agenda with the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party-both mainstream political parties of the region.
Coming clean on the issue Miwaiz said, “So far as the mainstream parties are concerned, there will be no Common Minimum Program with them unless they accept that Kashmir is a dispute”.
He refused to entertain questions on whether any action would be taken against Bhat. But he said, “We have told all our members to speak only according to the constitution of the party. Everyone has their opinion, but the Hurriyat may not necessarily agree with them.”
