Hizb rules out role for foreign militants

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, NOV. 20. In a significant development, the militant outfit, Hizb-ul- Mujahideen, today ruled out any role for foreign militants in the ``policy decisions'' on Kashmir. Denying links with the Al-Qeida or the Taliban, the Hizb maintained that it was ready for a dialogue or ceasefire if the international community made any headway in resolving the Kashmir dispute.

In the first interaction with the media - after Abdul Majid Dar was replaced by Saiful Islam as chief commander of the Hizb - the deputy supreme commander and spokesman, Asad Yazdani, said ``our movement is purely indigenous and we want to take it to the logical end... they (foreigners) are our guests.''

Stating that only the local leadership should be in the forefront in resolving the Kashmir issue, Yazdani said ``we want organisations like the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen to work under the local leadership. They should not have any role in policy-making.''

'Taliban will not enter Kashmir'

He ruled out the possibility of the Taliban entering Kashmir after its ouster from Afghanistan and termed such reports as a ``conspiracy to brand the Kashmir movement as part of international terrorism.''

The Hizb had always been aware of the intricacies of the Kashmir problem and nothing like ``liberal and hardline'' elements existed in the organisation. ``We know that the armed movement got the Kashmir issue out of cold storage but at the same time we accept that the gun alone is no solution to the problem,'' Yazdani said.

'Hizb open to dialogue'

The Hizb had never closed the doors for a dialogue. If the road to peace opened and talks started, the outfit would seriously discuss its role. On the All-Party Hurriyat Conference's ceasefire, he said ``differences on the issue have surfaced in their own executive and I believe this was not the opportune time for calling for a ceasefire.'' On the issue, militants and the Centre held different views and ``if the Hizb feels that the Government is serious, we can change our stand.'' However, the Government should either agree to implement the United Nations resolutions or express its readiness to have a tripartite dialogue.

Yazdani said the Hizb was finalising a strategy to come to the political front. ``We are thinking about coming to the political front but there is no time-frame,'' he said, adding that it was not satisfied with the Hurriyat's performance. He denied that there were differences within the Hizb over the ceasefire called in July 2000.

It was not possible to settle the Kashmir issue by holding talks with the Hizb alone, Yazdani said. Pakistan was the most important party to the dispute.

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