The Hindu : Involve Kashmiris in talks: Hurriyat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 20, 2003

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Involve Kashmiris in talks: Hurriyat

By Shujaat Bukhari

Photo: Nissar Ahmad

The chairman of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Abdul Gani Bhat, the former Hurriyat leader, Mirmoalana Umar Farooq, and the JKLF chief, Mohammad Yasin Malik, during a seminar in Srinagar on Monday.

SRINAGAR MAY 19. The All-Party Hurriyat Conference today called for an increased role of the international community in resolving the "Kashmir dispute'' and called upon India and Pakistan to include it in the process of talks on Kashmir. The Hurriyat leaders said that peace would elude the region until the issue was settled.

Speaking at a day-long seminar to commemorate the death of the late Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and the senior Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone, the APHC said that it was imperative that the Kashmiris be involved in the talks.

"The international community should prepare a road map to resolve the issue in consultation with India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris,'' said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, former Hurriyat chairman and son of Mirwaiz Farooq.

"Unless and until the international community takes interest, the Kashmir dispute will never be resolved.'' He justified third party intervention in Kashmir, saying that it did work in Israel, Palestine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and other conflicts. "Third party intervention or participation of assistance is a must,'' he said, adding "why India is opposed to such a proposal I fail to understand.''

"India and Pakistan will live in peace only when they resolve the issue of Kashmir by taking into account the wishes of the people of the region,'' said Moulvi Abbas Ansari. But he opposed an international road map on Kashmir.

He said that there was no need for such a map on Kashmir. "Kashmiris living across the Line of Control (LoC) should be allowed to meet and chalk-out the best possible solution to the dispute,'' he said referring to the nearly 750-km-long border.

The APHC chairman, Abdul Gani Bhat, said even the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had acknowledged that the situation at the international level had changed. "In this changed situation it was not possible to talk to the Centre's interlocutor, N.N. Vohra, as he would not fit in the requirements,'' he said. Though he welcomed the resumption of relations between the two countries, he said the Hurriyat should be involved in the talks.

Senior journalist and chairman of the Kashmir Times group of publications Ved Bhasin said a solution to the issue had to be as per the wishes of the people. "Kashmir's future has to be decided by Kashmiris and not by India and Pakistan,'' he said.

"If you want to achieve the goal of freedom, you have to continue the struggle, maintain unity and give a positive direction to the movement.'' He said separatists should not depend on the U.S. or any other country for the "success of their cause.''

"If you have to ask for help, ask it from the people of the world and not the respective governments ruling different countries,'' he said.

Bilal Lone, son of the slain Abdul Gani Lone, appealed for international intervention.

"India and Pakistan are party to the dispute only because they lay claim to the territory and actually hold it in parts,'' he said.

"I personally feel the international community should intervene or at least facilitate or supervise the dialogue between India and Pakistan,'' he said. "If that fails the world community should resort to coercion to force parleys on the issue.''

The JKLF chairman, Yasin Malik, called for a role in the proposed talks.

"We want to ask those who have taken the initiative what is our role in this initiative. And if there is no role for us, how can you expect a breakthrough as we are the basic party,'' said Mr. Malik.

He appealed to the international community for a role for Kashmiris in the latest peace initiative.

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