Two days ahead of its meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images], the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference received a shot in the arm on Saturday when the prominent Shia organisation Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian formally joined the separatist amalgam.

Announcing the merger of his party with the Hurriyat, Anjuman president Aga Syed Hassan said the supreme council of his party unanimously endorsed this decision.

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq himself visited his residence on Thursday and extended an invitation to him to join the separatist conglomarate, which he accepted in principle, Hassan said. He, however, sought time to take his party's supreme council into confidence.

Anjuman was a part of undivided Hurriyat until 2003 but after its division, Hassan shifted his loyalty to the hardline faction leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani. But the honeymoon was short-lived as he parted ways with the amalgam this July, citing Geelani's dictatorial style as the reason.

Hassan's name was likely to be included in the team of Hurriyat leaders for the talks in New Delhi but the second rung leaders of the conglomerate expressed resentment, saying his party had yet to formally join Hurriyat.

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