KL Report
SRINAGAR
While reacting to media reports of a separatist leader meeting Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Huriyat Conference (M) executive member and Muslim Conference (MC) chief Professor Abdul Gani Bhat Thursday said, “there is no harm in meeting anyone as agendas are not discussed individually.”
“Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has been my class fellow also. We used to study together at SP College, Aligarh Muslim University and are really good friends but we belong to two different ideologies. There is no harm of talking to anyone or meeting anyone. Agendas cannot be discussed individually. If it was just a meeting it could have nothing beyond a meeting,” Bhat told KNS.
However, he was quick to add that polls and the formation of the new government can in no way affect the veracity of Kashmir issue and it has no capacity or authority to undermine the dissent of the people of the state who have been struggling for their rights since decades.
Bhat, who is considered as a senior voice in Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp, said, till 1999 Kashmir had one dimension during which “we used to pitch for the accordance of right to the people for deciding their fate.”
“After that, in my opinion, it has become an issue of survival, not only for Kashmir but for the entire South Asia region. For development and prosperity peace and stability is inevitable,” Prof Bhat said, adding that peace cannot coexist with the dispute.
Though refuting to comment over declaring the name of the leader who met Mufti, he maintained that how could it be harmful if two people meet sans any formal agenda.
Over the formation of new government and possible tie up of BJP and PDP, the senior Hurriyat leader said, “Snakes can marry rats and bulls chase lizards- anything can happen with reference to the formation of the government but at present we can say let us not count stars which lie beyond.”
