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All Parties Hurriyat Conference

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"Hurriyat" redirects here. For the settlement in Surxondaryo Region, Uzbekistan, see Hurriyat, Uzbekistan.

All Parties Hurriyat Conference
ChairpersonMirwaiz Umar Farooq (Mirwaiz faction)
Masarat Alam Bhat (Geelani faction; interim)[1]
FoundersMirwaiz Umar Farooq
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Sheikh Abdul Aziz
Mohammad Abbas Ansari
Abdul Gani Lone
Yasin Malik
Abdul Ghani Bhat
Founded31 July 1993
HeadquartersSrinagar
IdeologyKashmiri separatism[2]
Self-determination[3]
Islamism[4][5][6]
Political positionBig tent[7][8]
ColorsGreen
Website
www.huriyatconference.com

All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations formed on 9 March 1993, as a united political front to raise the cause of Kashmiri independence in the Kashmir conflict. Mehmood Ahmed Saghar was the first convener of the APHC-PAK chapter when the alliance was established in 1993.[9] The alliance has historically been viewed positively by Pakistan as it contests the claim of the Indian government over the State of Jammu and Kashmir.[10][11][12] The organisation is split into two main factions, those being the Mirwaiz and Geelani factions. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the founder and chairman of Mirwaiz faction and Masarat Alam Bhat is the interim chairman of Geelani faction, who succeeded Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the founder of the faction after his death.[13][14]

History

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The All Parties Hurriyat Conference was founded on 31 July 1993.[15] On 27 December 1992, the 19-year-old Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who had taken over as chairman of J&K Awami Action Committee (J&KAAC) and become the head priest of Kashmir after the assassination of his father Mirwaiz Farooq, called a meeting of religious, social and political organisations at Mirwaiz Manzil leading to the creation of the formation the following year.[15]

The APHC executive council had seven members from seven executive parties: Syed Ali Shah Geelani of Jamat-e-Islami, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of Awami Action Committee, Sheikh Abdul Aziz of People’s League, Moulvi Mohammad Abbas Ansari of Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat of Muslim Conference, Yasin Malik of JKLF, and Abdul Gani Lone of People’s Conference.

Now, the leadership of the some executive parties have changed with time like Mukhtar Ahmed Waza of people's league, Masroor Abbas Ansari of Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen and Bilal Ghani lone of people's conference.

Ideology and role

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According to the Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and India's control of it is not justified. It supports the Pakistani claim that Kashmir is the "unfinished agenda of Partition" and needs to be solved "as per the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir."[16]

The APHC perceives itself to be the sole representative of the Kashmiri people.[16]

The organisation's primary role has been to project an image of counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and to mobilise public opinion against Indian security forces. The alliance has consistently followed up local allegations of security force excesses, and in several documented cases, real allegations about human violation by Indian security forces. For instance, the Haigam firing incident of 16 February 2001, was an assault on a peaceful gathering whereas, but later claimed in news reports and official clarifications, the army contingent fired upon the mob only when they were blocked and prevented from moving.[16]

The APHC has also an observer's status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). OIC has invited Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for its June 2005 Foreign Ministers Conference in Yemen.[16][17]

Split

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There are currently two factions of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The Mirwaiz-led group, also referred to as the "moderate faction" along with non-Hurriyat leaders like Yasin Malik undertook, between 2–16 June 2005, the first formal visit of Kashmiri separatists to Pakistani Kashmir and subsequently, though unsanctioned by Indian authorities, to Pakistan.[16]

Internal fissures within the Hurriyat Conference culminated in a formal split on 7 September 2003,[18] with at least 12 of its 26 constituents "removing" the then Chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari "replacing" him with Masarat Alam as its interim chief. The dissenters reportedly met at the residence of hardliner and pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and decided to depose Ansari and "suspend" the seven-member executive committee, the highest decision-making forum of the APHC. A five-member committee was formed to review the Hurriyat Constitution and suggest amendments to reverse what the dissenters perceived as "autocratic" decisions taken by the executive committee.[16]

Following this, Geelani formed his own faction of the Hurriyat called All Party Hurriyat Conference (G) and took over its leadership in 2003. He was later appointed as its lifetime chairman.[19][20] It consists of 24 parties. In 2004 he founded his own party named Tehreek-e-Hurriyat due to differences with the Jamaat-e-Islami.[21] He was appointed as the party chairman in October 2004.[22]

The Hurriyat Conference again split in 2014. The moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq faced the split after four senior leaders raised a banner of revolt against the chairman and other members of the conglomerate.[23] Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah, National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Mahaz-e-Azadi chief Mohammad Azam Inqlabi and Islamic Political Party Mohommad Yousuf Naqash were up in arms against Mirwaiz after he dashed off a letter to the convener in Pakistan administered Kashmir, Mohommad Yousuf Naseem, asking him not to entertain the leaders who have left the conglomerate on their own. The leader Shabir Shah and his lieutenant Nayeem Khan along with Shia leader Agha Hassan joined Hurriyat Conference (G) led by Syed Ali Geelani.[23]

Views on right to self-determination

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All JKLF factions support the right to self-determination as per UN Security Council Resolution 47. Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan & Azam Inquilabi, demand the right to self-determination as per UN Security Council Resolution 47. Members of the Executive Council of the original APHC were:

Criticism and controversies

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Relations with Pakistani ISI

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Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, a senior leader of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and son of Sheikh Abdullah criticised Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for working on "dictations" given by Pakistan. He accused Geelani of being "a double agent" on "the payroll of Pakistan's ISI".[24][25][26]

Kamal said "Geelani has tried to 'ignite and incite' people by 'hollow slogans and destructive emotionalism', whenever even a Pakistani clerk comes to India and summons this ex-lawmaker(Geelani), he rushes to Delhi to take dictation about how to ensure that uncertainty prevails in the state."[24][25][26][27][28]

Pakistan also openly supported Geelani and Hurriyat, and representatives have had several meetings with Hurriyat leaders. A three-member delegation from the Pakistan High Commission led by Abdul Basit met Geelani at his Malviya Nagar residence in March 2015. Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit assured Geelani of complete support conveying that the country's stand on Kashmir remains unchanged despite the regime change in New Delhi.[29][30][31] Basit also invited Geelani for a Pakistan Day function on 23 March. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, ritually invites pro-separatist leadership of Jammu and Kashmir for the function every year.[28][30][31][32]

Indian media vehicles reported that Geelani and Hurriyat are paying local unemployed young men to stage protests.[33] According to them, arrested participants confessed being paid Rs 400($6–7) every Friday. Police said the money is being raised locally by Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani's followers. Most of the money comes from fruit markets and saw mills, Pakistan-based LeT terrorists also participate in stone peltings,[33] the police said.[33][34][35]

Elections boycott

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Geelani and Hurriyat appealed to the people of Kashmir to boycott the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections completely, arguing that: "India has been holding elections in the Valley using the power of gun and so such an exercise is not legitimate."[36] But despite repeated boycott appeals, the 2014 assembly election recorded record voter turnout of more than 65% which was the highest in 25 years of history and higher than normal voting percentages in other states of India.[37][38][39]

While voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir as a whole was high, it remained low in Kashmir, and in many thickly populated areas of Srinagar and Anantnag, it stayed considerably below the norm, reaching close to 20% in some of them.[40] This trend continued and became much worse during the 2019 Lok Sabha election in JK, where Srinagar and Anantnag recorded voter turnout of 15.6% and 9.7% each respectively.[41]

Member of the European Parliament Kosma Zlotowski welcomed the smooth conduct of the State Legislative Elections in the Jammu and Kashmir.[42] Zlotowski's office in its message said that: "The high voter turnout figure proves that democracy is firmly rooted in India. The EU would like to congratulate India and its democratic system for conduct of fair elections, unmarred by violence, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir [...] The European Parliament also takes cognizance of the fact that a large number of Kashmiri voters turned out despite calls for the boycott of elections by certain separatist forces."[42][43][44]

Current members

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Current [when?] members All Parties Hurriyat Conference include: [citation needed]

Number Name of the Party Leader
1 Aawami Action Committee Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
2 People's League

Mukhtar Ahmed Waza

3 Anjamani Auqafi Jama Masjid Mohammad Umar Farooq
4 Anjaman-e-Tablig-ul Islam Syed Qasim Shah Bukhari
5 Ummat Islami Qazi Ghulam Mohammad
6 Jammu & Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari
7 Anjuman e shari shiyan Aga Syed Hassan al-moosvi Al-safvi
8 Jammu Kashmir National Front Nayeem Ahmed Khan
9 All Jammu & Kashmir Employees' Confederation Ishtiaq Qadri
10 Jamiate Ulama-E-Islam Abdul Gani Azhari
11 Jamiat-e-Hamdania Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Yaseen Hamdani
12 Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference Abdul Ghani Lone till 2002 assassination
13 Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Muhammad Yasin Malik
14 Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Shah & Mehmood Ahmed Saghar
15 Jammu and Kashmir People's Basic Rights (Protection) Committee Mufti Bahauddin Farouqi
16 Liberation Council Azhar Bhat
17 Kashmir Bazme Tawheed Tajamul Bhat
18 Kashmir Bar Association Zaroon bhat
19 Muslim Khawateen Markaz Zaid Bhat/ Anjum Zamarud Habib[45]
20 Muslim Conference Khokhar e aazam
21 Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Kashmiri Saqib Bhat
22 Jammu and Kashmir People's Independent Movement[46] Bilal Ghani Lone
23 Peoples Political Party Eng Hilal Ahmad War
24 Imam Ahmad Raza Islamic Mission Rafeeq Ahmad Mir
25 Saut-Ul-Aliya Moulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi
26 Jammu and Kashmir People's Freedom League Muhammad Farooq Rehmani
27 Peoples Political Party Hilal Ahmed War And forazad jammu and kashmir n Pakistan chapter Mian Muzaffar Shah
28 Dukhtaran-e-Millat Asiya Andrabi
29 J & K Muslim League Masarat Alam
30 Difa-e-Pakistan Council Sami ul Haq
31 Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Committee Noor-Ul-Hassan
32 Employees and Workers Confederation

Hurriyat Conference has three factions: Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Hurriyat led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Hurriyat led by Shabir Shah, Azam Inquilabi & Nayeem Khan. Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front is not part of these factions.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bashaarat Masood (8 September 2021). "Masarat Alam succeeds Geelani as Hurriyat chairman". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  2. ^ "All Parties Hurriyat Conference".
  3. ^ Jeelani, Mehboob (1 September 2010), "How defiance made Syed Ali Geelani relevant in Kashmir", The Caravan
  4. ^ PTI, Why India banned Jamaat-e-lslami and the 'Amir-e-Jihad' Geelani connection, Business Standard, 9 March 2019.
  5. ^ Praveen Swami, The Sunset of Kashmir's Jihadist Patriarch, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, News18, 29 June 2020 (updated 1 September 2021).
  6. ^ Jamal (2009), pp. 141–143: "Among top leaders of the organization [Jamaat-i-Islami] in 1989, only Syed Ali Shah Geelani was willing to publicly support armed jihad. ... A pro-militancy constituency secretly arranged for Syed Ali Shah Geelani to address the group [of leaders]. When negotiations stalled, Geelani appeared suddenly, made an impassioned speech and, according to accounts of the meeting, succeeded in pushing the group toward openly supporting the jihad [which ended with the creation of Hizbul Mujahideen]."
  7. ^ Geelani floats new party, The Statesman, 8 August 2004. ProQuest 284218680
  8. ^ insurgency, n, Oxford English Dictionary, retrieved 27 November 2019 Quote: "The quality or state of being insurgent; the tendency to rise in revolt; = insurgence n. = The action of rising against authority; a rising, revolt." (subscription required)
  9. ^ "Hurriyat: Its History, Role and Relevance". The Indian Express. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  10. ^ "All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC)". Kashmirherald.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  11. ^ "All Parties Hurriyat Conference". Satp.org. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Sorry for the inconvenience". Retrieved 9 December 2007.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest". Press Trust of India. The Hindu. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  14. ^ News Desk (7 September 2021). "Masarat Alam is new chairman of Hurriyat Conference | Free Press Kashmir". freepresskashmir.news. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Hurriyat: Its History, Role and Relevance". The Indian Express. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "All Parties Hurriyat Conference". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Mirwaiz gets OIC invite: Hurriyat". hindustantimes.com/. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Seven reasons why Hurriyat's sun is setting in Kashmir".
  19. ^ Tariq Bhat (29 June 2020). "Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani quits Hurriyat Conference". The Week. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  20. ^ Samaan Lateef (29 June 2020). "Geelani 'parts ways' with Hurriyat Conference after 27 years". The Tribune. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  21. ^ Fayaz Wani (19 March 2018). "Syed Ali Shah Geelani quits as Tehreek-e-Hurriyat party chairman but will continue to head Hurriyat". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Geelani Elected Chairman Of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat". The Hindustan Times. Jammu-Kashmir.com. 12 October 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Another split stares at moderate Hurriyat". dna. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Geelani on ISI Payroll: NC Leader". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  25. ^ a b "geelani on payroll of isi, says nc leader - daily.bhaskar.com". daily.bhaskar.com. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  26. ^ a b "Geelani on payroll of ISI, says NC leader". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  27. ^ "Hurriyat Leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's Arrest – ISI Funding for Kashmiri Militants". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  28. ^ a b "NIA nails Hurriyat's links with the ISI". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  29. ^ "Pakistani high commissioner meets Hurriyat leader Geelani". 9 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  30. ^ a b "Pakistan assures Syed Ali Geelani of complete support". dna. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  31. ^ a b "Pakistan mischief again: Envoy meets Syed Ali Geelani". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  32. ^ "Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit meets separatist leader Geelani, invites him for Pakistan Day". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  33. ^ a b c "Hurriyat paid Rs 400 for J&K stone-pelting, LeT terrorist participated". Zee News. 27 December 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  34. ^ "stone pelters paid Rs 400/week by Hurriyat". The Times of India.
  35. ^ "Only Kashmir". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  36. ^ "Syed Ali Shah Geelani's J&K election boycott call resonates in his hometown Sopore". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  37. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir Registers Highest Voter Turnout in 25 Years, Jharkhand Breaks Records". NDTV.com. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  38. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir registers highest voter turnout in 25 years, Jharkhand breaks records". Deccan Chronicle. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  39. ^ "J&K polls: 76 per cent voter turnout recorded in the final phase". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  40. ^ "2014 Vidhan Sabha / Assembly election results Jammu & Kashmir". Archived from the original on 20 May 2023.
  41. ^ "2019 Lok Sabha election results for Jammu & Kashmir". Archived from the original on 20 May 2023.
  42. ^ a b The Office of MEP Kosma Zlotowski (10 December 2014). "The European Parliament Welcomes the Elections in Jammu & Kashmir". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  43. ^ ANI (11 December 2014). "European Parliament welcomes elections in Jammu and Kashmir". Business Standard India. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  44. ^ "EU hails huge turnout in J&K". Jammu Kashmir Latest News – Tourism – Breaking News J&K. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  45. ^ Guichaoua, Yvan (8 November 2011). Understanding Collective Political Violence. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-230-28546-0.
  46. ^ "Separatist Bilal Lone renames his faction of People's Conference as 'People's Independent Movement'". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2022.

Sources

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