APHC to unite in wake of Musharraf's visit

27 April 2005
The Daily Times
Iftikhar Gilani

New Delhi: President Musharraf's message to the APHC factions, to unite or lose relevance in their Kashmir struggle, has made Hurriyat leaders scramble to unify.The moderate APHC announced in Srinagar that it would increase unification efforts to bring all pro-freedom groups under one umbrella again, a move coming two days after hardline faction leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that he was not against unity.APHC moderates' chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed Geelani's statement regarding unity and said the conglomerate should now try to unify the APHC. 'We have not stopped unity efforts, we have been trying to unite ever since I was authorised by the executive council to bring all pro-freedom groups on board. Now Geelani sahib has made his stance clear and we are determined to pursue the case,' he said.