Responding Senior Pro-resistance leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s appeal to main stream parties to join Hurriyat, AIP Supremo and MLA Langate Er. Rasheed has offered to join Hurriyat for the larger Kashmir cause of right to self determination.
Addressing an overcrowded press conference in Srinagar today, Er. Rasheed said “It is not time to blame each other but work for resolution of Kashmir dispute and stop New Delhi from its utterances and efforts, it is indulged in changing the dispute nature of J&K. Whatsoever Geelani Sahab has appealed main stream parties carries significance and relevance and sincere voices need to respond”. Er. Rasheed added
“During last eight years I have met Geelani Sahab on frequent occasion and offered him support from our side, which he has also endorsed through his statement some three years before.*
*Recently senior pro-resistance leader Mirwaiz Molvi Omer Farooq had also revealed that Er. Rasheed is already working for fulfilling aspirations and sentiments of people and had said that pro-freedom leadership and he is on the same page regarding right to self determination. As such sincere offer of Geelani Sahab should be taken seriously by all saner voices. In fact New Delhi’s designs to make Kashmiris go defensive by snatching special status needs concrete, united and strategic approach*”. Er. Rasheed revealed that he is seeking appointment with Geelani Sahab, Mirwaiz, Yaseen Malik and other pro-freedom leaders, so that Geelani Sahab’s offer could be discussed with sincerity. Er. Rasheed added that during meeting Geelani Sahab and others we will like to know the modalities of owning Geelani Sahab’s offer.
Er. Rasheed added that he is open to idea of quitting even from the Assembly, if Geelani Sahab has some concrete road map to offer in order to represent Kashmiris in a more compact way. Er. Rasheed appealed Omer Abdullah not to carryout personal attacks on Geelani Sahab and others for the larger interest of Kashmiris at this stage.