Moderates don't represent the people, says Geelani

Isolated on his stand towards the ongoing peace process, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday said that the moderate faction of Hurriyat conference was not the "true representative" of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and its talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would not yield a lasting solution to the vexed issue.

"Some people have gone to Delhi for talks. We have no doubt that they are not the true representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir who have made immense sacrifices for the right to self determination," Geelani said at a press conference on Monday. "They (moderates) are not the inheritors of five lakh martyrs of the state," he added.

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Geelani, however, stood isolated in his disapproval of the Centre-Hurriyat talks as none of the leaders of the three factions that chose to remain neutral after the split in the conglomerate shared the platform with him.

In a clear rebuff to Geelani, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front led by Yasin Malik, Democratic Freedom Party of Shabir Shah and Kashmir Bar Association did not turn up at the press conference convened by Geelani, the chairman of the breakaway faction of Hurriyat conference.

Geelani said the bilateral talks would not yield a lasting solution and the issue could only be resolved through implementation of United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

The hardline leader also lashed out at Pakistan government for accepting the moderate faction of Hurriyat conference as the genuine leadership of the Kashmiris.

Radical militant outfit Jamiat-ul Mujahideen on Monday accused the Pakistani government and moderate faction of Hurriyat of deliberately protecting the Indian interests by entering the dialogue process with New Delhi.

"The talks between New Delhi and Hurriyat are futile as India is playing the card of dialogue to escape the wrath of international community at the forthcoming session of United Nations," JuM commander Muneeb ul Rehman said in a statement in Srinagar.