New Delhi: Days before the crucial visit of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Jammu and Kashmir, several moderate and secular Kashmiri leaders of Pakistani origin launched a global umbrella body for a political campaign to focus on "denial" of rights in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Northern Areas.

Several key Kashmiri leaders of Pakistani origin are leading the International Kashmir Alliance (IKA), whose formation was announced at a press conference in London over a week ago, has also decided to approach the Kashmir issue by striking a balance between India and Pakistan.

The setting up of the IKA has caused serious concern in Islamabad as the newly formed outfit has pledged to highlight the "denial" of civil, political and economic rights in PoK and Northern Areas of Pakistan. Pakistani authorities, were also concerned about the fact that most of the leaders who had formed IKA were of Pakistani origin.

The sources said the establishment of IKA has led to a rift within the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), some of whose UK-based leaders have joined the IKA which forced JKLF leader Yasin Malik to expel two of them Shabir Chaudhry and Abbas Butt - "with immediate effect".

In the letter of expulsion by JKLF dated April 14, the two leaders have been charged with "unconstitutional action by joining the so-called international alliance, the partners of which are Mumtaz Kashmiri, Shoukat Kashmiri, Hashim Qureshi and Nazir Gilani, who are known for their anti-movement activities".

It also asserted that JKLF was "not part of any international alliance".

In a retaliatory move, Butt, as the JKLF chief of UK and Europe, expelled a pro- Yasin JKLF leader, Majid Tramboo, for opposing the move to set up the IKA saying he and others had "created a rift in the Srinagar-based organisation which resulted in a split in the JKLF".

PTI