NEW DELHI, Aug 28: Yasin Malik, the chief of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, said in Srinagar on Monday that his group would oppose any Al Qaeda presence in the disputed region.

Mr Malik was quoted by Indian enws agencies as telling a news conference: “If the Al Qaeda starts its operations in Kashmir the whole world would turn against the ongoing freedom struggle.”

Mr Malik also appealed to the people of Kashmir to “...not support the Al Qaeda” even as he denied any knowledge of the outfit’s presence in the state.

Rediff.com said the JKLF chief announced the launch of a non-violent resistance programme by his group that would start in Srinagar on Sept 7.