Amsterdam, July 12 : Kashmiri writer and intellectual Junaid Qureshi lambasted on the All Party Hurriyat Conference saying that it propagates the ideology and propaganda of Pakistan and never worked for the welfare of the Kashmiri people.
While interacting with Dr Shabir Choudhary, a writer and political activist from PoK, Junaid quoted former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Asad Durrani, who admitted in ‘Spy Chronicles’ that the ISI was instrumental in creating the Hurriyat. All Parties Hurriyat Conference is an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organisations formed on March 9, 1993, as a united political front to raise the cause of so-called Kashmiri separatism.
Junaid said that when Hurriyat was formed in 1993 and every political and religious party associated with it was having a militant wing just like Jamaat-e-Islami was having Hizbul Mujahideen as its militant outfit.
Hurriyat Conference never supported peace process in Jammu and Kashmir and fueled violence and separatism among the people.
“On July 26, 2000, the chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Abdul Majeed Dar announced a unilateral ceasefire. However, Hurriyat issued a press release and criticised the ceasefire by Hizbul Mujahideen, which indicates that the Hurriyat wanted bloodbath and continue with its politics on Kashmir”, said Junaid, who is also the director of Amsterdam based European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS).
Hurriyat used to propagate itself as a political face of Jammu and Kashmir and never welcomed any militant group to join the peace process, said Junaid.
He said that Hurriyat Conference claims to have been the sole representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but unfortunately they even don’t represent the people of Kashmir valley.
“There are three Hurriyat Conferences and none of them have a member from Jammu and Ladakh. Even from Valley, they might be representing few people from some areas,” said Junaid while adding that people from other communities like Hindu pundits, Dogras and Sikhs have no presence in the Hurriyat.
Junaid added, “Hurriyat Conference propagates accession to Pakistan and I believe if they propagate accession to Pakistan and they even claim to have been the sole representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir, then why do we need Hurriyat? Pakistan also says that same thing. Why we need Hurriyat for mediation?”.
“The All Party Hurriyat Conference split in 2004 and then in 2014 and they failed to remain united despite having same political ideology and religion”, said Junaid.
The intellectual believes that a large section of Muslims in Kashmir do not support Pakistan’s ideology because the Muslims of valley believe in Sufism and not in Islamist ideology.
He said, “Pakistan itself has occupied a large portion of Jammu and Kashmir, whereas it is backing Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir valley to work on the ideology of separatism. This is illogical”.
“A large number of Hurriyat leaders and separatists are languishing in jails these days, how many people in Kashmir are protesting in support of them. It indicates the kind of support they enjoy in the Kashmir valley”, said Junaid. (ANI)