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Hurriyat to send Lone to meet Annan

The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference decided on Monday to send former chairman Abdul Ghani Lone, considered a moderate, to New Delhi to explore the possibility of meeting United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan during his visit to the capital.

The conglomerate of 23 separatist groups, whose executive council met in Srinagar on Monday to discuss Annan's statement ruling out implementation of the UN resolutions for resolving the Kashmir dispute, said Lone had been asked to seek a meeting with him during his stay in New Delhi.

"If the meeting between the Hurriyat Conference and the UN chief becomes possible, he will be informed about the wishes of the people of Kashmir and human rights violations taking place in the state," a statement issued after a marathon meeting said.

The statement said the meeting also discussed the recent statement of Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani ruling out a mediatory role for the Hurriyat and delay in issuance of passports to the delegation named to visit Pakistan.

On Advani's statement, the Hurriyat said the conglomerate had offered to visit Pakistan not as a mediator. "But being the basic party to the Kashmir issue, the Hurriyat has taken the step to initiate the process of dialogue," it said.

It said the visit of the Hurriyat's delegation to Pakistan would be an "important step" for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and restoration of peace in the sub-continent.

"However, the delay by the Centre in issuing travel documents to the Hurriyat delegation left the visit hanging and created a feeling among Kashmiris that India, while talking of peace, was creating hurdles in the peace process," the Hurriyat statement said.

Regarding organisational matters, the Hurriyat executive stressed the need for unity among all constituents of the conglomerate.

"In the larger interests [of Kashmir], all the differences would be resolved through consultations," the statement added.

Significantly, Jamaat-e-Islami representative Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a hardliner, did not attend the meeting of the seven-member council. A Hurriyat spokesman said Geelani was not invited.

The Hurriyat had recently requested the Jamaat to replace Geelani with some other member in the Executive Council as he had been creating "indiscipline". The request was, however, turned down by the Jamaat.

Geelani, meanwhile, held a separate press conference, but refused to comment on not being invited to the Hurriyat meeting, saying, "It is no issue."

PTI

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