SAN Report

The All Parties Hurriat Conference (APHC) is marking its 15th birthday amid serious divide between its two factions that ironically continue to carry the same name. A faction of Hurriat leaders is continuing their solo flight. The organisation had virtually abandoned its ideology and constitution a long time ago. All hopes are now hanging in between President Musharraf’s four-point agenda and the restoration of Article 370 of Indian Constitution that grants special status to the state of Kashmir. The APHC was originally meant to advance the agenda of freedom through political dialogue by exploiting all opportunities that had arisen from the armed struggle. Thus the alliance could have achieved some thing substantial for Kashmiris even though that was short of complete independence. Over the past many years, this political alliance has not been able to make much gain out of the favourable circumstances. Now there are greater prospects of APHC’s transformation into a broad-based and organised political force.     

Mutahidda Jihad Council chief Syed Salahuddin had been continuously appealing for unity of both factions of APHC during the past year. It shows that there are still powerful voices supporting unity between the two factions of APHC. President Musharraf has also been calling for inter-factional unity in APHC but his four-point formula has become the core difference between the two groups with Mirwaiz group strongly backing the formula while Syed Ali Gillani group vehemently opposing it. Thus the four-point agenda has widened the gulf between the two groups. Major political figures backed Mirwaiz while the sentiments of the beleaguered Kashmiri masses were with Ali Gillani. Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik and Shabbir Ahmed Shah remained neutral in the inter-factional fight. Serious divisions within the APHC had spread disappointment and frustration among freedom-obsessed Kashmiri masses. Mirwaiz issued several statements in favour of transforming the APHC as a broad-based political force.

In the meanwhile Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabbir Ahmed Shah presented his six-pints to unite the political forces in Kashmir. In the past, he wanted to see the alliance of APHC united under one leader and one flag to pursue a common goal. He had to part ways with the Hurriat Conference when he failed to make all factions agree on a common agenda. When Shabbir Ahmed Shah was arranging meetings with different leaders to rally support for his plan, Mirwaiz declared to make the APHC a regular political party with its President, General Secretary and a Treasurer. He said the party would be further organised at grass-root level in line with the Party Constitution framed in 1993. He said not only every single group within the APHC will stop its individual activities, but all Kashmiri diplomats will also become its members and will observe party discipline. He categorically rejected the notion that the latest effort to revitalise the APHC was a step toward preparing for the forthcoming elections of the state assembly. He averred that no solution was acceptable to Kashmiris that conformed Indian or Pakistani Constitution. He also said some high profile names like Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Azam Inqalabi were also joining the new effort. Shabbir Shah is formally being invited to join the new alliance. Mirwaiz said he held Ali Gillani in high esteem but there was no formal move as yet to include him in the new alliance. Ali Gillani’s spokesman declined to comment on Shabbir Shah formula before party meeting.

If the APHC emerges as a joint political front of Kashmiris, then it will be a major breakthrough.

According to1993 constitution, APHC is bound to end talks with India because its constitution calls for tri-partite talks and allows for a ‘third option’ to Kashmiris beyond joining Pakistan and India.          

Hurriat’s restructuring resembles with Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) under late Yasser Arafat. It is not clear when and how the well-wishers of freedom struck the idea of mustering all their divided power? Only time will answer if they will be able to advance their struggle on the pattern of the PLO. But the emerging scenario makes two other points very clear. First, clear prospects of a meaningful breakthrough on Kashmir issue have necessitated a joint force of all freedom fighters. Secondly, the possibilities of any settlement have altogether finished and all Kashmiri parties have decided to launch a joint effort on political front.

Informed sources say that India has not included apple in the tradable list of commodities between the two parts of divided Kashmir. Because it does not want to make Kashmiri traders aware of markets in Lahore and Rawalpindi as it fears that an alternative market will decrease their dependence on Indian markets and thus boost their confidence. Given such a mindset, hoping for any meaningful compromise is a clear self-deception. Perhaps Hurriat Conference and its supporters are fed up with the zero-sum game and have decided to resume their struggle with full vigour.

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