MUZAFFARABAD: Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, the founder general secretary of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, on Monday replaced hardline pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

“In a unanimous decision taken in an extraordinary meeting, the highest decision making body (Majlis-i-Shoora) of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat [has] appointed Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie as interim chairman till the organisational elections to be held later this year,” says a press release issued in Srinagar, a copy of which was also emailed to Dawn.

The meeting was held at the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani.

However, reports said Mr Geelani would continue to hold the position of the chairman of his own faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Confe­rence (APHC). Mr Geelani-led Hurriyat comprises at least 24 smaller parties.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the chairman of another faction of the APHC.

Mr Geelani, Mirwaiz and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik have forged a united front under the banner of “Joint Resistance Leadership” after the martyrdom of Hizbul Mujahi­deen commander Burhan Wani at the hands of the Indian army on July 8, 2016.

Monday’s announcement ended speculation about the successor of Mr Geelani, even though he was believed to have decided some time back to nominate Mr Sehraie, his most trusted aide, as his successor.

Mr Sehraie, who has also the Jamaat-i-Islami background like Mr Geelani, had been the general secretary of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat since 2004, when Mr Geelani had founded this organisation after the APHC split over the issue of dialogue with the New Delhi government.

While addressing members of Shoora, Mr Geelani said he had always stood by his stand notwithstanding testing times of prisons, interrogations, domestic hardships, physical and psychological onslaught.

“However, for the last eight years of continuous house arrest, restrictions on interactions with my party colleagues…dented the function of the organisation,” he added.

“Merely holding a position without practical contribution is injustice not only with the post but the conscience as well, so today I consciously step down from the chairmanship and advise the Shoora to arrange an alternative at the earliest,” he said, and extended his fullest cooperation and sincere wishes to the would-be leadership of the organisation.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2018