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JKLF lambastes Hurriyat for meeting Musharraf

Sumir Kaul in New Delhi

The Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front stuck on Saturday to its decision to boycott the meeting of Hurriyat Conference politicians with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, saying it was opposed to any dialogue process from which any of the three parties -- India, Pakistan or the people of Kashmir -- is missing.

The JKLF, which was in the forefront of the militancy in the state in the early 1990s, said its executive committee would be meeting shortly to take stock of the situation arising out of it having been sidelined by other Hurriyat Conference leaders.

The JKLF, which is also one of the founding outfits of the 23-party conglomerate, said it was of the view that the invitation to the Hurriyat leaders for the high tea was an 'insult' to the aspirations of the Kashmiris.

"When the Hurriyat Conference's executive decided to send a letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [for a meeting], it was not for tea," JKLF acting chairman Bashir Bhat told the Press Trust of India.

Bhat said the Hurriyat executive's decision was to seek an appointment with Vajpayee and Musharraf and not to "sip a cup of tea and provide photo opportunities".

But when it was pointed out that a private meeting with Musharraf was likely, he retorted, "They [the Hurriyat leaders] never bothered even to convey to us about the decision."

Taking a dig at suggestions made by some Hurriyat leaders on Friday during a press conference with Pakistani journalists, the JKLF leader said, "The independence option or what you call the third option can either be loved or hated, but never ignored."

The rift between the JKLF and the other Hurriyat constituents came to the fore on July 10 when the pro-independence outfit announced its decision to boycott the reception, terming it "humiliating" for the conglomerate.

Justifying his party's stand, Bhat said, "We are a part and parcel of the Kashmir dispute and we do not believe in tea or dinner diplomacy."

Though a former Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, sought to downplay the differences, saying, "The JKLF should have no objections as the meeting will be a one-to-one with the Pakistan president," Bhat said, "Such decisions are not taken at the last minute. The Hurriyat should have immediately convened an executive meeting to discuss the developments."

PTI

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