SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), led by Yasin Malik, last week rejoined the AllParty Hurriyat Conference (APHC), restoring the latter’s credentials as an umbrella organization of secessionist forces of all hucs. Yasin Malik, who had left the APHC 14 months ago, announced his return to the fold at a congregation at Hazratbal here. The announcement came barely 16 hours after the killing of a district commander of the JKLF ‘Ali Mohammad by unknown gunmen in the Hazratbal area. He was shot in the head during a scuffle at 9:30 p.m. Malik in his speech, blamed the killing on “government agents” and so did Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leader of Jamatilslami. parent body of the front ranking militant outfit, HizbulMujahideen. A government spokesman had earlier said that the JKLF commander had suspectedly been shot by militants of Hizbul Mujahideen.”

Yasin Malik told a 100,000strong rally that he had parted ways with the APHC last year due (o “mutual mistakes.” Expressing the hope that “the leaders” would give him full cooperation, he pledged to make all sacrifices for the ongoing ‘freedom struggle.” He said assembly elections were no solution to the problem.

He appealed to AlFaran to release the five western hostages unconditionally, “IF they don’t release the hostages, we’ll conclude that the government is behind the kidnappings,” he said, suggesting that the kidnappers were playing the government’s game.

Addressing the rally, Syed Ali Geelani welcomed Malik’s return to the APHC as a present from God on the occasion of IdcMilad. “I swear, Tregard you as my son,” he assured Malik.

Geelani urged the militants to reform themselves. “Youths (meaning militants) arc like fish and people are like water,” he said, if the water dries up, the fish will dic. He told them not to extort money and to desist from interfering in private disputes.

The other leaders present included shabir shah, Abdul Gani Lone and. Prof Abdul Gani. Relations between the JKLF and the APHC were strained last year when Yasin Malik began an indefinite fast to press for the removal of BSF bunkers from the Hazratbal area. The APHC pointed out that ‘the hunger strike was un-Islamic. Malik continued the fast, but piqued by the criticism stayed away from subsequent APHC meetings.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 18, 1995