NEWS

Hurriyat seeks appointment with PM

By Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
January 10, 2007 20:25 IST

The moderate separatist All Parties Hurriyat conference is holding a joint session of its executive committee and the general council in Srinagar on Thursday.

The group is meeting to discuss their forthcoming visit to Pakistan as also a likely meeting with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh before they depart for Islamabad later this month.

"We shall meet on Thursday to discuss our forthcoming visit to Pakistan. We are always ready to meet the Indian prime minister and would like to meet him before our visit to Pakistan provided he has the time to see us," said professor Abdul Gani Bhat, the chief spokesman of the moderate APHC.

"We completely support the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan, which is extremely likely to produce a permanent and acceptable solution to the Kashmir problem," Professor Gani added.  

Leaders of the Mirwaiz APHC group have so far met the prime minister twice, once during the National Democratic Alliance rule and during the present United Progressive Alliance regime.

Yasin Malik, the chairman of the pro-Azadi JKLF who has parted ways with both the moderate and hardline APHC groups, also called on the prime minister once last year.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the chairman of the hardline APHC group, has remained outside the dialogue process maintaining that Kashmir's merger with Pakistan was the only solution that would be acceptable to the Kashmiris.

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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