Hizbul sticks to its guns

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 6 The Hizbul Mujahideen has once again reiterated that it would be forced to reconsider its ceasefire declaration if India does not respond by 5 p.m. on August 8 to its demand for tripartite talks outside the framework of the Constitution.

In a statement issued here today, the Hizbul chief, Syed Salahuddin, warned that if India did not seize the opportunity, the situation would deteriorate and it alone shall be responsible for the situation.

Today's statement by the Hizbul chief is significant for two reasons. It sought to dispel any impression of ``confusion'' in the ranks of his organisation about the deadline, particularly after the Indian authorities had established formal contact with the Hizbul commanders in Kashmir.

More important, the statement made light of the first ever dialogue between the Indian Government and the Hizbul commanders in Srinagar last week. ``Such talks have gone on for 50 years and taken us nowhere,'' the statement said.

``We have set the deadline keeping in view the obduracy and delay tactics which India has been employing for the last 52 years. Let there be no confusion on this count,'' the statement said in an obvious reference to reports from Srinagar quoting Mr. Fazal-Haq Qureshi, who is mediating between the Indian Government and the Hizbul, that the deadline is on account of a communication gap and could be extended.

`Tripartite talks vital'

The burden of Mr. Salahuddin's statement was that Kashmir is a disputed issue and there are three parties involved - India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris.

There can be no solution to the problem without the involvement of the three parties.

``Talks held by ignoring any of the three parties cannot make any headway. Such two-sided talks have always failed,'' he said.

On the failure of two of the commanders to show up for the second round of discussions in Srinagar on Saturday, the explanation of Hizbul leaders here was that ``perhaps they were unwell''.

Right from the day the Indian Government extended an invitation for talks in response to the ceasefire, the Hizbul has been insisting that a dialogue on substantive issues on Kashmir must be outside the purview of the Constitution and involve Pakistan and the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

The Hizbul has taken the view that it would not be a party to the dialogue. It did not miss the opportunity to make it clear that the first ever contact between India and the Hizbul commanders in 11 years was meant to discuss the limited issue of modalities of implementation of ceasefire.

There is a remarkable convergence in the position of the Hizbul and the Pakistan Government in the post-ceasefire scenario. Pakistan has also been insisting that the dialogue could be meaningful only if it, along with the APHC, was involved.

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