Hurriyat rejects PM's invite to attend round-table

Srinagar, May 22: In a major setback to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's bold initiative, the moderate Hurriyat Conference today rejected the invitation to participate in the second round-table conference here on May 24-25, saying it did not want to join ''a crowd of political hypocrites''.

Announcing the decision at a news conference, moderate Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the amalgam has unanimously decided not to attend the round-table as it had no agenda.

The decision was taken after a three-hour marathon meeting of the Hurriyat Executive Council, the highest decision-making body of the amalgam, the General Council and the Working Committee at its Rajbagh headquarters here.

However, the Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat leaders would like to meet the Prime Minister separately during his two-day visit to Kashmir. ''If the Prime Minister agrees, we would like to seize the opportunity and talk to him separately,'' he added. Mirwaiz Farooq said the Hurriyat Conference was committed to taking the ongoing dialogue process forward aimed at resolving the long-festering Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state.

He said the Hurriyat Conference was determined to continue with its ongoing triangular process and talk to both India and Pakistan.

However, the Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat Conference has unanimously decided not to attend the round-table conference which has no agenda.

''We do not want to be a part of the crowd of political hypocrites,'' he added.

UNI

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