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Srinagar: Leader of Ittehadul Muslimeen Moulvi Abbas Ansari was on July 12 elected as the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference.

Ansari replaces Muslim Conference Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat who completed two years as Hurriyat head earlier this month.

Ansari's election as the chairman was taken at an unscheduled meeting of the Hurriyat and the decision was announced to reporters by the outgoing chief of the amalgam.

Ansari, who becomes the first Shia leader to head the 25-party separatist conglomerate, had admitted to be in race for the top post of the amalgam during a recent interview.

Though JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik was also in thought to be in contention for the chairman, Ansari was finally elected as the new chairman unanimously.

Conspicuous by their absence were Malik and Shiekh Ali Mohammad of Jammat-e-Islami but JKLF was represented at the elections by Ghulam Rasool Dar Eidi. Jamaat, however, was not represented in the meeting.

PTI