KL Desk
Srinagar
Stating that India and Pakistan must include Kashmiris in the dialogue process, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday said that both the countries have no alternative but to engage Kashmiri leadership.
“Our new generation has the will to move forward, but at the same time they are keenly observing the Indian and Pakistani policies vis a vis Kashmir”, Mirwaiz said in an interaction session with diplomats, politicians, technocrats, journalists and human right activists in Islamabad. The session was organized by the Institute of strategic affairs.
Mirwaiz said that the ‘context’ of the issue has to be determined. “Although it is a bilateral issue as per the background and UN resolution, but now it is more the issue of aspirations rather than the territory”, stressed Mirwaiz, adding the issue could not be channelized properly.
“Kashmiris want to be heard and must be heard”, said Mirwaiz asking as to why the Pakistan government was not able to put Kashmiri leadership on the table. He said that Pakistan could not capitalize on the 2008 to 2010 public agitations which Mirwaiz said were of indigenous nature.
“New Delhi has created confusion between grievances and aspirations. They are trying to project the redresal of grievances as the resolution of the issue”, he stressed.
According to local news agency KNS, Mirwaiz said that now the pro-India parties like ruling National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party are also admitting that administrative affairs and the Kashmir issue are two different things.
Hurriyat (M) Chairman said that though CBM’s were the right approach, but cautioned that the concessions won’t yield anything unless there was a political approach to address the problem.
Joining the interaction, senior executive members Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani lone also criticized both the countries for not making Kashmiris part of the dialogue.
“You must include Kashmiris in dialogue process because they are the sufferers” said Prof Bhat, adding that Kashmir is a sentiment.
“Kashmir seeks permanent stability, we are linked to the survival of the South Asia”, added Prof Bhat.
Speaking on the occasion, another executive member Bilal Gani Lone asked India and Pakistan to give Kashmiris free space to take the decisions. “We are not going anywhere but give us comfort zone”, Bilal said in reply to a question.
Terming Mirwaiz as the acceptable leader, Bilal said that leaders can’t be groomed every day and all the constituent parties of the amalgam have accepted Umar as their leader.
Bilal also criticized OIC terming it as inapt to take decisions. “They don’t have legs to stand up, what would they give to us”, said Lone. He accused Pakistan of ‘glorifying’ the pro-India politicians and castigated them for hosting pro-India politicians, Lone said, “We thank you for inviting NC and PDP leadership here who are now encroaching upon our political space.”
Earlier in his inaugural speech, Pakistan former ambassador to New Delhi, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi admitted that Pakistan had made some mistakes in handling the Kashmir issue, but stressed that Kashmiris shouldn’t lose heart and should continue with the struggle. “We made some mistakes, but you should not lose the momentum”, said Jehangir
