Geelani damper on Pak iftar

Surrounded by hordes of journalists and TV cameras who had gate-crashed, Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said: ‘‘We recognise only the Hurriyat led by Geelani and no one else. The rest are all Kashmiri leaders. After all, Geelani’s group has also been recognised by the Organisation of Islamic Conference.’’

Towards the end of the evening, though, Rashid could stand it no more. He chewed on his cigar relentlessly even as the guests ate. He snapped at a high commission official for disrupting his last chat with Indian journalists as an enormous bouquet meant for Geelani wilted away in a corner.

Asked why Pakistan had recognised Geelani and not Moulvi Abbas Ansari as the Hurriyat chairman, Rashid told the The Indian Express: ‘‘Ansari has been claiming that ‘designation’ is not important to him but the cause of Kashmir is. We had invited everybody.’’ High commission officials said Ansari had indeed been invited, but only in his ‘‘individual capacity’’.

Also missing were separatist Kashmiri leaders, including Yaseen Malik and Shabir Shah, usual fixtures at Pakistan High Commission iftars. And perhaps for the first time ever, the high commission had left out the Indian government altogether.

The ‘‘minor Hurriyat’’, however, made the most of the limelight. Ghulam Nabi Sumji of People’s Conference insisted he ‘‘represented the Hurriyat’’ at the iftar. Sumji also had his own take on talks with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani next month. ‘‘Kashmir has to be considered a disputed issue, only then can the talks be meaningful.’’

J.N. Shaheen, general secretary of the Muslim Conference, said the Hurriyat would unveil a ‘‘freedom agenda’’ in Srinagar on December 6 though ‘‘there were no takers for it so far’’.