The Hindu : National : Qazi Yasir joins hands with Lone

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

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National

Qazi Yasir joins hands with Lone

Shujaat Bukhari

Decision aimed at ensuring a "large coalition of people"

SRINAGAR: The People's Conference chairman, Sajjad Lone, on Tuesday roped in the Mirwaiz of South Kashmir, Qazi Yasir, and said that his institution would be extended to every nook and corner of the Kashmir valley. Qazi Yasir and his uncle, Qazi Amanullah, formally joined the People's Conference.

Praising Mr. Lone's work and leadership, Qazi Yasir said his decision was aimed at ensuring a "large coalition of people" rather than see a "sad state of diffusion of political forces." "There is complete convergence of objective between us and the People's Conference which will make the strongest political party in the State," he said.

Spiritual reunion

Qazi Yasir, whose father Mirwaiz Qazi Nissar was gunned down by militants in 1995, said that both Abdul Gani Lone, Mr. Sajjad Lone's father, and his father espoused the same cause of peace in Kashmir. "My entry into this party is a spiritual union of my father and Lone saheb," said the young Mirwaiz, who also heads a politico-religious organisation — Ummat-e-Islami — founded by his father.

Mr. Sajjad Lone has emerged as a bitter opponent to the Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.Mr. Lone, who referred to Qazi Yazir as Mirwaiz of Kashmir instead of South Kashmir, denied that it was an attempt on his part to build a parallel institution of Mirwaiz (head priest) as against the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Both Abdul Gani Lone and Qazi Nissar were arrested along with other separatist leaders in 1990 in the wake of militancy and released in 1992. However, Qazi Nissar confined himself to religious activities in his South Kashmir town of Anantnag till 1995 when he was shot dead by militants. Abdul Gani Lone was gunned down at a public rally in May 2003.

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