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Geelani confirms differences within Hizb

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Senior Jamat-e-Islami leader and former chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani Saturday confirmed serious differences between the Hizbul Mujaheedin supreme commander Syed Salahuddin and his deputy Abdul Majid Dar.

In an interview to a local news agency, Geelani said Salahuddin was not taken into confidence by Dar before announcing the cease-fire last month in Jammu and Kashmir. "The Hizb supremo had to endorse the cease-fire call for maintaining unity in his outfit," he said.

However in a statement this evening Hizbul Mujaheedin chief spokesman, commander Masood, said the call for cease-fire was a collective decision and was taken at the group's base camp in Muzzafarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

"It was not a decision taken by Abdul Majid Dar alone," Masood clarified. He said the Hizbul Mujaheedin withdrew the cease-fire after India rejected its demand for a tripartite dialogue involving India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris.

The Hizb spokesman denied that the outfit had any contact with the Indian government.

Defence Minister on Friday had said the government had "well established contacts with the Hizbul Mujaheedin."

"Such statements are aimed at creating a rift between militant groups," the spokesman said.

Geelani in Saturday's interview, while commenting on Majid Dar's statement that talks (with the Indian government) would resume within two months, said: "Dialogue can prove fruitful only if all parties concerned are involved."

He said Dar had contacted him on phone before announcing the cease-fire. "I advised him to wait till the organisational elections of the Jamat-e-Islami. I also advised him to talk to other outfits and take them into confidence," Geelani added.

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