All Parties Hurriyat Conference
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference(APHC) (formed March 10, 1993) is a political front formed as an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations in Kashmir. It was formed achieving the right of self-determination according to the UN resolution. "Hurriyat" in Urdu means "freedom".
History
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference(APHC) (formed March 10, 1993) is a political front formed as an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations in Kashmir. It was formed achieving the right of self-determination according to the UN resolution. At that time its members among others included:
- Yaseen Malik's Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)
- Shabbir Shah's People's Democratic Front.
- Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari of Ittihadul Muslimeen.
- Shakeel Bakshi's Islamic Students League
- Muslim Conference led Abdul Ghani Bhat
Mirwaiz Omar Farooq then the Chairman of the J & K Awami Action Committee played an important role in forming the Conference.
Objectives
According to its constitution, the APHC was intended to be a union of political, social and religious parties of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose of the organization are as follows:
- Wage a peaceful struggle to secure the right to self determination (limited and without the right to independence) of the people of Kashmir.
- Endeavour to find an alternative solution by involving all three parties to the dispute; viz. India, Pakistan and Kashmir, under UN auspices or a friendly country
- Endeavor to promote a society based on Islamic values keeping in mind the Muslim majority character of the state. While at the same time, safeguarding the rights and interests of non-Muslims.
List of Members
The APHC started off as an umbrella organisation with 26 members.
| Number | Name of the Party | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aawami Action Committee | Mirwaiz Omar Farooq | |
| 2 | Ittihadul Muslimeen | Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari | |
| 3 | Anjamani Auqafi Jama Masjid | Mohammad Umar Farooq | |
| 4 | Anjaman-e-Tablig-ul Islam | Syed Qasim Shah Bukhari | |
| 5 | Auquaf Jama Masjid | Ghulam Muhammad Butt | |
| 6 | Employees and Workers Confederation | ||
| 7 | Employees & Workers Confederation (Arsawi Group) | ||
| 8 | Islamic Study Circle | Dr. Yusufl Umar | |
| 9 | All Jammu & Kashmir Employees’ Confederation | Ishtiaq Qadri | |
| 10 | Jamaat-e-Islami | Syed Ali Geelani | |
| 11 | Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith | Moulana Tahiri | |
| 12 | Jamiate Ulama-E-Islam | Abdul Gani Azhari | |
| 13 | Jamiat-e-Hamdania | Moulana M. Yasin Hamdani | |
| 14 | Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference | Abdul Ghani Lone till 2002 assassination | |
| 15 | Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front | Muhammad Yasin Malik | |
| 16 | Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Committee | Noor-Ul-Hassan | |
| 17 | Jammu and Kashmir People's Basic Rights (Protection) Committee | Moufi Bahauddin Farouqi | |
| 18 | Liberation Council | Maulana Muhammad Abbas Ansari | |
| 19 | Kashmir Bazme Tawheed | Moulana Mohammed Mubariki | |
| 20 | Kashmir Bar Association | Mian Abdul Qayoum | |
| 21 | Muslim Khawateen Markaz | Ms. Zamrooda Habib | |
| 22 | Muslim Conference | Prof. Abdul Ghani Butt | |
| 23 | Political Conference | Abdul Samad | |
| 24 | Tehreek-e-Huriati Kashmiri | Syed Ali Geelani | |
| 25 | People's League | Sheikh Abdul Aziz | |
| 26 | Students Islamic League | Shakeel Bakshi |
The important parties of the Executive Council of the APHC are:
- Jamat-e-Islami,Syed Ali Shah Geelani
- Awami Action Committee Mirwaiz Omar Farooq
- People's League,Sheikh Abdul Aziz
- Itehad-ul-Muslimeen Moulvi Abbas Ansari
- Muslim Conference, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat
- JKLF, Yasin Malik
- People's Conference,Sajid Lone son of Abdul Ghani Lone.
Role in the Politics of Kashmir
The APHC does not recognise the Indian right over Kashmir. It blames India's lack of sincerity for the failure of the repeated attempts at the resolution of the Kashmir issue. It has consistently criticized the Indian troops present in Kashmir and accused them of human rights violations.
The APHC is divided into two factions. One, led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, second, Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, both call for resolution of Kashmir on the basis of the right to self-determination of the people under the auspices of United Nations. Since 2004, the Omar Farooq faction has held three rounds of talks with the Government of India, while as Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction rejected the talks until India stops the use of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory.
The Hurriyat boycotted the May 2006 round table conference in Srinagar, which leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Prime Minister of India attended. This was a setback to the Hurriyat's dialogue with New Delhi.
Presently the two factions of Hurriyat are heading towards a single platform considering their common objectives as their main priorities.
On Friday, August 29, 2008, Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was arrested, following the arrests of other Hurriyat leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Mohammad Yaseen Malik and two others.[1]