The Hurriyat Conference met here on Wednesday to chalk out its protest program for Friday.

Besides top separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the meeting was also attended by People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone. Lone, despite his active involvement in the recent agitation, had so far been conspicuous by his absence in the Hurriyat’s coordination committee meetings.

In a surprising development, Hurriyat doves, led by Mirwaiz, called back Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan from the coordination committee. They were replaced by Ghulam Muhammad Bhat of Awami Action Committee and Ghulam Muhammad Hubbi of People’s Conference.

Wednesday’s meeting gained more significance because of the brewing discord in the separatists’ ranks over Hawk Geelani’s controversial speech on Monday. The Hawk not only said that accession to Pakistan was the only solution to Kashmir but also declared himself as the sole leader of the separatist struggle. Though he apologised later in the day, the effect of his seemingly well-rehearsed lines has lingered.

The meeting, ostensibly held to work out the future protest programme, was also being seen as an effort to rebuild bridges. The leaders, including Geelani, once again reaffirmed their commitment to the common minimum basis of their accord. “We have to unite for the larger cause and override individual grandstanding,” said a leader. “This is our basic minimum for the accord and everybody has agreed on it.”

However, at the same time, Hurriyat doves’ decision to recall Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan has left a distinct impression of the things not being hunky-dory. Both are very senior separatist leaders. Shah, on the other hand, has been instrumental in forging the current accord among the disparate leaders. The two had also prevailed on Geelani to apologise for his controversial speech.

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