<p>Doctors attending on him at the Soura Medical Institute here said Qureshi's condition was critical as he has suffered significant brain damage.<br /><br />Qureshi, who heads the Peoples Political Front, was fired from point blank range by militants around 6.30 pm while he was returning home after offering evening prayers yesterday.<br /><br />The 65-year-old moderate face of the separatist outfit was known for his simple ways and travelled in a bus refusing police security.<br /><br />Al-Nasreen militant outfit, believed to be a front of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying he was playing a key role in the talks with the Centre.<br /><br />Qureshi was behind the first-ever peace talks between terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen and the Central government in 2000. The militant group was led by Abdul Majid Dar.<br /><br />Although the talks failed to make any headway, he engaged in talks with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani again but pulled out of the second round in protest against alleged human rights violations in the state.<br /><br />Qureshi, who rose from a humble beginning to be the most trusted aide of Mirwaiz Farooq and a prominent face of Hurriyat's moderate faction, was instrumental in intiating many truce attempts in the past which, however, failed.<br /><br />He was the member of Plebiscite Front but later launched his own political party by the name of People's Political Front and was elevated to the Executive Committee of the Hurriyat following a split in 2003.</p>
<p>Doctors attending on him at the Soura Medical Institute here said Qureshi's condition was critical as he has suffered significant brain damage.<br /><br />Qureshi, who heads the Peoples Political Front, was fired from point blank range by militants around 6.30 pm while he was returning home after offering evening prayers yesterday.<br /><br />The 65-year-old moderate face of the separatist outfit was known for his simple ways and travelled in a bus refusing police security.<br /><br />Al-Nasreen militant outfit, believed to be a front of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying he was playing a key role in the talks with the Centre.<br /><br />Qureshi was behind the first-ever peace talks between terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen and the Central government in 2000. The militant group was led by Abdul Majid Dar.<br /><br />Although the talks failed to make any headway, he engaged in talks with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani again but pulled out of the second round in protest against alleged human rights violations in the state.<br /><br />Qureshi, who rose from a humble beginning to be the most trusted aide of Mirwaiz Farooq and a prominent face of Hurriyat's moderate faction, was instrumental in intiating many truce attempts in the past which, however, failed.<br /><br />He was the member of Plebiscite Front but later launched his own political party by the name of People's Political Front and was elevated to the Executive Committee of the Hurriyat following a split in 2003.</p>