Why did Hurriyat refuse? Hashim has the answer

Srinagar, May 23: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder-member Hashim Qureshi today alleged that the moderate Hurriyat Conference refused to attend the second round-table conference because one of its top leaders had demanded the release of a person recently arrested in a hawala case.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the moderate Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had ''no right to refuse'' participation in the second round-table as its leaders had separately met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders on number of occasions.

''A top Hurriyat leader had demanded the release of a person recently arrested in a hawala case,'' Mr Qureshi claimed.

The DLP Chief also criticised the moderate Hurriyat leaders for refusing to ''sit'' with mainstream political leaders and renegades.

''When they (Hurriyat leaders) can sit with them in Pugwash and other international conferences, how can they refuse to share the platform with them in the round-table conference?'' he sought to know.

Mr Qureshi, who was the only separatist leader to have attended the first round-table conference in New Delhi on February 25, also came down heavily on India and Pakistan for according ''recognition to the moderate Hurriyat Conference as the sole representative'' of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

''India and Pakistan, besides the moderate Hurriyat Conference, are hatching a conspiracy against the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

They might soon foist a decision on us,'' he alleged.

''India is also giving an undue importance to the Hurriyat leaders by talking to them. They have twice humiliated the Prime Minister by refusing to attend the round-table though have separately met him on two occasions. Nobody knows what transpired in those meetings,'' the DLP chief said.

The moderate Hurriyat yesterday rejected the invite to take part in the second round-table here, saying it does not want to join ''a crowd of political hypocrites and Ikhwanis (renegades)''.

However, it said the amalgam leaders would like to meet the Prime Minister separately during his two-day visit to Kashmir.

Mr Qureshi shot into international limelight when he along with his cousin Ashraf Qureshi and three others hijacked the Indian Airlines Fokker Friendship plane, also known as Ganga Aircraft, on January 30, 1971 when it was on a flight from Srinagar to Jammu.

They took the plane to Lahore, where they blew it up after letting passengers alight.

Mr Qureshi returned to India from Denmark in December 2000 and surrendered before the authorities. He is facing trial in the hijacking case.

UNI

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