New Delhi, May 30: Pakistan’s invitation to the leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to travel to Muzaffarabad on the peace bus appears to have created chinks in the conglomerate.

Five of the 16 constituents of the Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani were under pressure from their cadre to accept the invitation. The cadre felt this opportunity should be used to have meetings with the leadership in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The five constituents have, however, decided not to board the bus ? a step that is in line with the thinking of many militant organisations ? only after much persuasion by Geelani, according to sources close to the Hurriyat.

The militant groups Al-Nasreen, Farzandan-e-Millat, the Save Kashmir Movement and Al-Arifeen, which had earlier threatened passengers on board the peace bus, have hailed Geelani’s decision.

Speaking to The Telegraph from Srinagar, Geelani’s personal secretary Malik Fayaaz confirmed that five factions of the Hurriyat were in favour of boarding the bus earlier but changed their decision when the hardline leader told them about the demerits of going there.

“Geelani Saheb told them in an elaborate meeting that it would not be fruitful for the cause of Kashmir,” he said.

However, sources said there is largescale dissatisfaction among the cadre of groups like the National Front and the Anjuman Shar-e-Shian. This could even lead to severing of ties.

On the other hand, the possibility of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front holding its first global conference after 1972 in Muzaffarabad is getting bleak.

The organisation wanted to take a 17-member team to meet people from the US, Canada, Europe and West Asia at Muzaffarabad but only five of its members have been given clearance.

Yasin Malik, the organisation’s chairperson said he has filed his papers but a decision on going to PoK will be taken at a meeting tomorrow.

Islamabad today iterated that the Hurriyat leaders could cross over to Pakistan from PoK.

Pakistan foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said their “visit to Islamabad would not pose any problems”. India has said allowing Hurriyat leaders to go beyond PoK would be a breach of the agreement between Delhi and Islamabad.