SRINAGAR: The hard-line faction of the Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Geelani, on Thursday suffered a setback with two of its constituents deciding to walk out of the alliance. The Jammu and Kashmir National Front and a faction of the People's Conference alleged that the alliance was being dominated by Mr. Geelani's party, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat-e-Kashmir.

At a news conference here, Naeem Ahmed Khan, JKNF chief, accused Mr. Geelani of not taking the constituents into confidence while taking vital decisions relating to the "freedom struggle."

"We've a great regard for Geelani `saheb' as a person, but as chairman of the Hurriyat Conference he has disappointed us. He has been busy strengthening his own party, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, but has utterly failed to make the forum stronger," he said. Other parties were being sidelined in the decision-making process, which was not in tune with the spirit of unity among the separatists, he alleged.

"He [Mr. Geelani] did not consult us before heading for Doda. He went there with the Tehreek members and not with the members of his constituents. This is not done."

He criticised Mr. Geelani for adopting a rigid attitude on issues, but refused to give details.

Pakistan visit

Mr. Khan's JKNF and other constituents had supported the separatist leaders' visit to Pakistan. But Mr. Geelani "vetoed" it, as he was opposed to the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road and trans-LoC visits of Hurriyat leaders.

On the dialogue process, Mr. Khan said: "We're not against the concept of dialogue. Our only concern is that it should be time-bound and result-oriented... ." He was optimistic about the success of a "sincere dialogue." The "guns of our Mujahideen will automatically fall silent once such a dialogue is started."

Asked whether his party or the People's Conference would join the moderate Hurriyat faction, led by Mirwaiz Farooq, he said the party's political affairs committee took decisions on political developments. "I've faith in the ability of my political affairs committee. We're leading a resistance movement and our endeavour will be to strengthen the movement always and take freedom-loving people along."

Mr. Khan accused Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of "double speak."

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