Srinagar, March 22, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, Hurriyat leaders and political analysts have said that like Syed Ali Gilani, the newly elected Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, will continue to raise the Kashmir dispute with same strength and vigor, and will not budge an inch from the stated position of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat on the Kashmir dispute.
The analysts in their media interviews said that in view of deteriorating health of Syed Ali Gilani, TeH members looked towards Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai being the choice. Syed Naseem Gilani, who is younger son of Syed Ali Gilani, in statement said, “It is the contribution, dedication and sincerity which matters. Whether he (Sehrai) is from the clan or outside, it hardly matters. ”
Syed Imtiaz Haider, a senior member of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, described Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai as highly dedicated. “What he has in his heart, he says it in his words. His commitment is flawless,” Imtiaz Haider, who grew closer to Sehrai during their recent detention, said.
Political analyst and law Professor, Sheikh Showket Hussain said, “Ideologically, Gilani and Sehrai are the same. The strategy will continue with Gilani as head of APHC and Sehrai in command of the.” Will the Hurriyat now consider talks with the India-appointed interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma? Hussain said, “It is not a possibility. The NIA raids and the subsequent questioning of Gilani’s son were pressure tactics to force them into talks.”
“There is now entry of Russia and China, who have started speaking about Kashmir. With the passage of time, they will intervene more and it will become harder for New Delhi to manage the issue. That’s why pressure was mounted on Hurriyat to talk and reach some sort of conclusion. However, it does not seem to be working,” he said.
Pro-India Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Spokesman, Rafi Ahmed Mir, said Ashraf Sehrai is an important leader of the TeH and he did not expect any deviation from the existing policy. “There can be internal reasons for the change,” he said. Pro-India National Conference leader, Nasir Sogami, said, “I do not think there will be any variation in their politics.”
Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, who is in his mid-seventies and has served as General Secretary of the TeH, has had a long association with Syed Ali Gilani which is almost spanned over five decades. However, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat was founded by Syed Ali Gilani in August 2004 with an aim to spearhead the Kashmiris’ struggle for right to self-determination. TeH is of the view that no solution to the Kashmir dispute is possible till India accepts Kashmir as a dispute.
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