All Parties Hurriyat Conference

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference(APHC) (formed March 10, 1993) is a political front formed as an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations in Kashmir. It was created to further the cause of Kashmiri separatism. "Hurriyat" in Urdu means "freedom".

History

The APHC succeeded another freedom-centric organisation Tehreeki Hurriyat Kashmir (THK) headed by advocate Mian Qayoom and started in 1989. At that time its members among others included:

* Yaseen Malik's Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)
* Shabbir Shah's People's Democratic Front.
* Jamat-e-Islami
* Shakeel Bakshi's Islamic Students League
* Muslim Conference led Abdul Ghani Bhat

The THK was not able to exert much influnce on the politics of Kashmir.Fact|date=June 2008 This was when the Hurriyat conference was formed. Mirwaiz Omar Farooq then the Chairman of the J & K Awami Action Committee played an important role in forming the Conference.

Objectives

According to its constitution, the APHC was intended to be a union of political, social and religious parties of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose of the organization are as follows:

- Wage a peaceful struggle to secure the right to self determination (limited and without the right to independence) of the people of Kashmir.

- Endeavour to find an alternative solution by involving all three parties to the dispute; viz. India, Pakistan and Kashmir, under UN auspices or a friendly country

- Endeavor to promote a society based on Islamic values keeping in mind the Muslim majority character of the state. While at the same time, safeguarding the rights and interests of non-Muslims.

List of Members

The APHC started off as an umbrella organisation with 26 members.

The important parties of the Executive Council of the APHC are:

* Jamat-e-Islami,Syed Ali Shah Geelani
* Awami Action Committee Mirwaiz Omar Farooq
* People's League,Sheikh Abdul Aziz
* Itehad-ul-Muslimeen Moulvi Abbas Ansari
* Muslim Conference, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat
* JKLF, Yasin Malik
* People's Conference,Sajid Lone son of Abdul Ghani Lone.

Role in the Politics of Kashmir

The APHC does not recognise the Indian Constitution and has stayed away from all elections held in the state of Kashmir so far. It blames the lack of sincerity of India for the failure of the repeated attempts at the resolution of the Kashmir issue. It has consistently criticized and Accused the Indian Troops present in Kashmir of Human Rights Violations.

The APHC is divided into two factions. One, led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, favours Peace Talks, the second, the Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani favours the complete independence from india and right to self determinition of people. From 2004 the Omar Farooq faction has held three rounds of talks with the Government of India.

The Hurriyat boycotted the May 2006 round table conference in Srinagar which leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Prime Minister of India attended. This was a setback to the Hurriyat's dialogue with New Delhi.

Presently the two factions of Hurriyat are heading towards single platform considering their common objectives as their main priorities.

On Friday, August 29, 2008, Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was arrested, following the arrests of other Hurriyat leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Mohammad Yaseen Malik and two others. [http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=4e40fa98-9df2-41ab-b9d1-47c3e2c1c26f&MatchID1=4742&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1195&MatchID2=4732&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=2&SeriesID2=1193&PrimaryID=4742&Headline=Hurriyat+leader+Shabbir+arrested&strParent=strParentID]

External links

* [http://svaradarajan.blogspot.com/2005/09/hurriyat-and-government-dialogue-in.html 'Hurriyat and the Government: Dialogue in search of common ground' Article in Hindu by S. Varadarajan]
*http://mea.gov.in/opinion/2002/05/23o05.htm
*http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/terrorist_outfits/Hurriyat.htm