'Don't Desecrate Places of Worship'

Places of Worship 
Two days after temporarily suspending its agitation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyatconference in another significant development asked militants not to misuse mosques assanctuaries and endorsed Pakistani ruler General Pervez Musharraf's call to "jehadi" groups to stopanti-India propaganda. 

Terming the use of mosques by militants as an act of desecration, the umbrella organisation of 23 separatist groupsalso asked the army to respect the sentiments of the people and not not to cause destruction to places ofworship while dealing with militants taking refuge there. "Militants should not bring religious places, including mosques, in the ambit of their activities as it amounts to desecration of the place of worship," senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, told reporters here. 

Shangus Mosque 
Lone claimed that the army demolished the mosque in Shangus in Anantnag district during its operation to flush outmilitants holed in there since Sunday night. 

(However, a defence spokesman contradicted it and said the security forces exercised maximum restraint and only some portion of themosque's annexe was damaged in the fierce exchange of fire.)

MusharrafAsked about Pakistani military ruler's call to jehadi groups to stop anti-India propaganda, lone said "we extendfull support to the call of Gen Musharraf and second his statement word by word."

Suspension of Agitation 
To a question on Hurriyat's decision to suspend its agitational activities,Lone said there are "elements withinthe central and the state government who are inimical to the peace process andthey would try to create a situation which might provoke the Hurriyat to react and in the process derail theproposed Indo-Pak summit."

"But Hurriyat will not fall in the trap of these elements and that is why we have stopped agitational programmes for thetime being," he said, adding "Hurriyat does not want to act in a way which would create bad blood",Lone, however, said normal activities of Hurriyat as regards to "freedom movement" would continueunhindered.

Stressing that no solution to the Kashmir issue could be firmed up without involvement of the people of the state, theHurriyat leader, however, said he did not insist for inclusion of Kashmiris in the proposed summit meeting as "modalities"for such a move could be "worked out".

"It will be a big tragedy if New Delhi and Islamabad discuss the Kashmir issue and keep theKashmiris away from the talks," he said. 

Meeting Musharraf
Asked whether there was a possibility of the Hurriyat leaders meeting Gen Musharraf when he visitsNew Delhi, Lone said "though it is a God-given opportunity, the government ofIndia will not allow such a meeting." He referred to external affairs minister Jaswant Singh ruling out such a possibility and said "by not allowingMusharraf-Hurriyat meeting, New Delhi is showing disrespect to its honoured guest as it is the prerogative ofthe visiting dignitary to decide whom he wants to meet." 

To a question on whether Hurriyat had any information from Pakistan that GenMusharraf wants to meet them, he said "to be honest we have no contact with Pakistan."