Adil Lateef
Srinagar, May 2: Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, today welcomed the nod given by Minister of State for External Affairs, for Hurriyat-Pakistan meeting and urged Centre to re-visit the policy of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee vis-a-vis Kashmir.
“We will say better late than never. I think the Government of India has realized that the red lines drawn by it neither works in politics nor in diplomacy. They have to accept this reality besides being the issue of India and Pakistan it is the basic issue of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mirwaiz told reporters during a press conference here at his amalgam’s headquarters.
In a written reply, the MoS for External Affairs, VK Singh told the Parliament last week: “Since the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri ‘leaders’ are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India.” But he ruled out any third party intervention between India and Pakistan.
The Mirwaiz said no process could move ahead without the engagement and involvement of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Although it (nod by Centre) is a welcome change and acceptance of this reality that there is no way out other than engagement of India and Pakistan but they have to take Kashmiris along,” he added.
Mirwaiz, who held several rounds of talks with Government of India between 2002 to 2007, insisted on revival of policy adopted by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “So, we hope that the same policy would be revisited which was adopted by their former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wherein he had said that ‘we have shut the beaten track, we have to do a new beginning’. That time Hurriyat went to Pakistan, held talks with India also,” he said.
The Mirwaiz, however, said that people of the State are primary party to the dispute. “So I understand as far as the issue is concerned this issue is the issue of India, Pakistan and J&K. Let me reiterate that Hurriyat never said that we are third party. We have always said that we are primary party because the issue is ours. So, it is the need of hour that whenever India and Pakistan talks they have to take people of the State along. Let us hope that such policy would be adopted,” the moderate separatist said.
Mirwaiz said his Hurriyat has never been averse to dialogue process between India and Pakistan and always condemned the militant incidents like that of Pathankote which are aimed to scuttle the talks. “See Huriyat Conference have always said that India and Pakistan should take forward the dialogue process but we have always supported and welcomed it whenever the dialogue process between the two countries initiated,” he said.
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