Hurriyat chief Geelani denounces ISIS as un-Islamic

Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has denounced the Islamic State in the backdrop of repeated display of the ISIS flag in Kashmir, saying it is a terrorist organisation which does not represent Islam.

''ISIS, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other like groups do not represent Islam. Daesh (alternate name of ISIS) is a terrorist organisation which is killing innocent people and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan is weakening Pakistan internally,'' the Kashmiri separatist leader said on Thursday.

His remarks came against the backdrop of repeated display of ISIS flag by some youth during protests in Kashmir since the last few months.

Geelani, while addressing a seminar on 'UN resolutions on Kashmir' in Srinagar, also termed the present India-Pakistan dialogue process as a ''futile exercise''.

He hit out at the Centre, saying it was talking about dialogue but at the same time terming Kashmir as an integral part of India.

''This rigidity has neither benefited them in the past nor will it benefit in the future. India is participating in dialogues just to buy time and it has no interest in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute,'' the Hurriyat leader said.