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| Separatists watch line new ISI Chief will adopt towards them | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Sep22
Leaders of various separatist organizations in the Kashmir valley keep a close watch on the latest developments in Pakistan as far as change of guard in the ISI was concerned.
The All Party Hurriyat Conference leadership seems to be very much keen to know whether Lt. Gen.Nadeem Taj,who was recently promoted and asked to head the ISI,a premier Pakistani intelligence agency,would follow the line adopted by his predecessor Lt.Gen.Pervez Ashfaq Kiyani or make some major modification in that.It may be recalled that during the tenure of Lt. Gen.Ashfaq Kiyani the establishment in Pakistan had distanced itself from Syed Ali Shah Geelani,chief of Tehrik Hurriyat Conference.In fact Islamabad started giving weightage to the APHC leadership indicating a change in its stand.
Since the rise of militancy in Kashmir in 1989 Syed Ali Shah Geelani,who is respected by various militant organizations also,used to be Pakistan’s trump card in Kashmir.However,during the last over two years Mr Geelani’s criticism of Gen. Parvez Musharraf’s policy on Kashmir seemed to have caused the wedge between Islamabad and the hardliners in the separatist camp.He had usually either stayed away from the Iftihar or other parties hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi or wanted a separate meeting with the senior functionaries of the High Commission,including the Pakistan Foreign Minister and secretary.
It is in this connection that some moderates in the separatist camp feel a bit concerned over the change of guard in the ISI.They fear that once Gen. Nadeem Taj reversed the policy of his predecessor and started befriending Syed Ali Shah Geelani moderates may lose importance they had been enjoying in Pakistan.But one thing is certain the establishment in Pakistan has not so far disowned Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his team because Mr Geelani,despite fragile physique continues to have pockets of influence in the entire valley besides some belts of Doda,Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Political observers,however,were of the opinion that Gen. Nadeem Raj may not carry out major change in Islamabad’s policy towards Kashmiri separatists without approval from President Parvez Musharraf. These observers say that ultimately Gen. Parvez Musharraf will decide on the line the Government should adopt towards Kashmir.
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