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The central committee of the Jammu & Kashmir People's Conference on Thursday evening chose Sajjad Lone, younger son of the late Abdul Ghani Lone, to succeed him as chairman of the party.
The decision of the central committee headed by Hafizullah Maqdoomi, a senior People's Conference politician and close associate of the slain party chief, put to rest speculation that Lone's elder son Bilal, a former militant, would succeed him.
The separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, of which the People's Conference is a part, was divided on Sajjad Lone succeeding his father, primarily because the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front faction headed by Yasin Malik was not quite excited with the prospect of having former friend Amanullah Khan, head of the rival JKLF faction and father-in-law of Sajjad Lone, in the conglomerate even if by the back door.
Earlier, Sajjad Lone had told rediff.com that his succession as chairman of the People's Conference could not be considered a given, but if the party chose any of the Lone family to head it, they would not refuse.
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