Moderate Hurriyat leaders led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reportedly met for the first time after the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, signalling that the newly formed government could relax curbs on some activities of the separatists.

The meeting has come days after the Omar Abdullah-led government took office. The Omar government is unlikely to have any say in allowing or disallowing such activities given the changed political scenario of the state.

The Mirwaiz, who spent most of the last five years under house detention, posted a video of his meeting with senior Hurriyat leaders Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Molvi Masroor Ansari.

The Mirwaiz wrote on X: “...After more than five years, I got a chance to be together with my dear colleagues Professor sb, Bilal sband Masroor sb.”

“An emotional experience of different feelings, including missing colleagues in jail. But happy to see dear Prof sb (Professor Abdul Gani Bhat) in good spirits and an alert mind at this age.”

Bhat, Lone and the father of Masroor Ansari, Abbas Ansari, were executive members of the moderate Hurriyat. Abbas died last year after prolonged illness.

Both Bhat and Abbas have served as chairman of Hurriyat.

The Hurriyat was split into hardline factions led by the Mirwaiz and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who passed away in 2021 while being under house arrest.

A separatist leader said the meeting assumes significance due to the government’s hard line against separatists.

“There is a difference between relaxing curbs on separatists and separatism. It is unlikely that the government will change its policy on separatism anytime soon. But separatists might be given some freedom within a limited space,” a separatist leader who was part of the moderate Hurriyat said.