Hurriyat not against return of Kashmiri Pandits to Valley: Syed Ali Shah Geelani

SRINAGAR: Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today said the amalgam was never against return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley but opposed settling them in separate colonies.

"We have never opposed return of Kashmiri Pandits, but are against creating separate zones for them. It is an attempt to divide Kashmiris along religious lines, which is harmful to our cause," Geelani said in a statement.

Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's statement, Geelani said he was making such statements to earn "brownie points" from the Centre.

"People like Omar raise Kashmir issue only for vote bank politics. Otherwise, they consider Indian occupation of the state as final. They are only interested in power," he added.

Omar, addressing a public rally yesterday, had said that Geelani was misleading people about the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.

He had challenged the Hurriyat hawk to raise the settling of Pakistanis in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or bringing back part of the state from China.