Moderate Hurriyat faction to decide on meeting tomorrow, Syed Geelani to skip

Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led by Mohammad Yasin Malik will hold joint consultations to decide on whether to meet the All Parties delegation of central leaders arriving in Srinagar tomorrow.

The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has ruled out meeting the delegation, saying its mandate was limited to holding talks within the framework of Indian constitution.

"We are in consultation with our constituents and even like-minded parties outside Hurriyat including JKLF, to decide on the invitation of meeting the all-party delegation," Miwaiz said.

He said a decision on the issue will be taken by tomorrow.

Both Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat and Malik have been invited today by the government to put forth their view point before the all-party team.

Mirwaiz said it was ironic that on one hand, he was being invited to meet the delegation and on the other, he has been placed under house arrest.

"Minutes after getting the invitation for the meeting, I have been placed under house arrest," he said.