Mirwaiz prepares to send representatives to Pakistan

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leading light of the secessionist All Parties Hurriyat Conference, is preparing to send representatives to Pakistan to engage with senior political leaders there.

The move follows Umar's conversation here last Monday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokkar. During that meeting, Khokkar handed the Mirwaiz a letter from President Pervez Musharraf. The letter centred on condolences for the recent murder of the Mirwaiz' maternal uncle in Srinagar but was accompanied by an invitation for Umar to visit Pakistan.

The Mirwaiz is said to have responded that the Indian government might not give him the necessary travel documents but that he would like to send representatives from the Awami Action Committee, which he heads.

Shahid-ul Islam, the chief spokesperson of the Awami Action Committee, told Gulf News over the telephone from Srinagar that the Mirwaiz had asked him and Nazir Ahmed Rungta, the organisation's chief organiser, to go. They hope to travel as early as the end of this month, he added.

This would be the first official visit to Pakistan by representatives of a Hurriyat Conference constituent. The visit by the late Abdul Ghani Lone in November 2000 had been described as a private visit by the then Hurriyat Chairman, Abdul Ghani Bhat.

The Hurriyat has split since then and the Awami Action Committee, a founding member of the Hurriyat Conference, belongs to the faction headed by Maulana Abbas Ansari.

Although Khokkar had stated during his visit that Pakistan recognises the faction headed by Ali Shah Geelani, Pakistan appears eager to retain good relations with the Mirwaiz too.

Mirwaiz means chief priest in Kashmiri and whoever holds the office has a high profile, particularly in the old town of Srinagar. Plus, as the Hurriyat's founder chairman, Umar has often been the face of the Hurriyat at international interactions such as meetings of the Organisation of Islamic Countries.

Although Umar has always held his cards close to his chest, it has become evident that he would much prefer some form of independence for Kashmir rather than accession to Pakistan. That Umar's aspirations and worldview should differ greatly from those of puritan Islamists like Geelani is not surprising. Educated at a Catholic missionary school, Umar is fascinated by computers and other modern gadgets and has married a Kashmiri woman brought up in the US.

Although Umar is chary of associating himself with militants, he does appear eager to maintain good relations with Pakistan. This despite the fact that several of his supporters hold pro-Pakistan militants responsible for his uncle's assassination as well as for the attempt on Umar's life a few weeks ago.