Srinagar, February 14
In a significant development, the People’s Conference, a constituent
of the Hurriyat Conference (Abbas), has sacked its chairman, Sajjad
Ghani Lone from the party. This was disclosed by his brother, Bilal
Lone, who is also the Chairman of the five-member Supreme Council of
the Peoples Conference and its representative in the Hurriyat
Conference.
Bilal Lone said “Sajjad was indulging in anti-Hurriyat activities
by vitiating the peace process”. He added that Sajjad was also found
guilty of ‘anti-party activities and working against the agenda of
the Peoples Conference founder and our father, Abdul Ghani Lone”.
The two brothers became politically active after the assassination
of their father, Abdul Ghani Lone, a senior executive member of the
APHC, who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen on May 21, 2002, on
the occasion of 12th death anniversary of Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad
Farooq.
Bilal Lone said that Sajjad’s utterances against some Hurriyat
Conference leaders, particularly the former chairman, Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, had harmed those who wanted Kashmiri leaders to remain united.
This followed an open letter by Sajjad Lone to former APHC
chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, that was published in a local daily
here today. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had attended the funeral of a slain
commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen, Rafiq Ahmad Dar, alias Ledri, who was
killed in an encounter with the police here on last Friday. Sajjad in
his letter criticised Umar’s move, which according to him glorified
the man who was reportedly behind the killing of his father, Abdul
Ghani Lone.
