Conf on Kashmir, Hindutva in Islamabad, J&K MLA to attend

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir President has convened a conference in Islamabad to discuss 'Kashmir' and 'emergence of Hindu Extremism in India' which will be attended by controversial Independent MLA of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rashid even as separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani declined the invitation.
The two-day conference convened by PoK President Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan from January 20 has the theme 'The Kashmir Conflict - its Ramifications for Pak-India Relations and Peace and security of south Asia'.
The other topics to be discussed include 'the Kashmir Dispute, Hindutva and emergence of Hindu Extremism in India and Proposed Abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A of Indian constitution Impact on Kashmir Dispute'.

"Rashid will be crossing over to Pakistan via Wagah border point for attending the conference," his spokesman Inam-un Nabi said.
However, Geelani, who heads hardline Hurriyat Conference, has refused to attend the conference because the organisers have invited mainstream politicians like Rashid and CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami for the event.
"The general opinion of the members of the Advisory Council was that Hurriyat should not participate in any conference (in Pakistan) in which members of the (Jammu and Kashmir) assembly or pro-India politicians have been invited," a spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat said.

The spokesman said participation in any such event can have "negative effects on the Kashmir movement".

The Hurriyat has also decided to issue show cause notices to such constituents of the amalgam who have helped in conduct of the conference without its concurrence.
Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed an invitation to him but said he would not be able to attend the conference in the absence of travel documents.
"I wish to attend the roundtable conference but unfortunately due to non-availability of travel documents, I cannot attend it," Mirwaiz said.
Tarigami has also decided not to attend the conference due to "personal reasons".
(Reopen DES38)
Commenting on the invitation extended to MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir by the PoK president, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said people from both sides should meet each other to defuse the situation.

"Any meeting is important to defuse the situation between India and Pakistan. Let the legislators visit. The people here and the people there should meet and there is no doubt about that. Others will put their point of view and a solution will emerge because our borders are not going to change. So what is the problem? I don't have any problem," he told reporters in Jammu.
When asked about reports that India has asked for the extradition of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said he was never in favour of his release in exchange for hostages of hijacked Air India plane IC-814 in 1999.

"Congratulations, if they (central government) are asking for his return. Only God knows when they (Pakistan) will return him. I had objected that time (in 1999) but nobody agreed to it. Now see when they bring him back," he said.
Azhar, who had been arrested in 1994 in Jammu and Kashmir, was in a jail in the state when the IC-814 was hijacked during its flight from Kathmandu to Delhi. Azhar, along with two other terrorists, were released to secure the release of the hostages.
A month after his release, Azhar, who was till then associated with Harkat-ul Ansar terror group, floated Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.