KL Report
SRINAGAR
Expert on Kashmiri affairs and former head of India’s premium Intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), AS Dulat Wednesday said that government of India should engage Mirwaiz Umar Faooq in dialogue over Kashmir issue so that deadlock between separatist groups and New Delhi would be over.
“Mirwaiz is an important leader and a complete politician. He has started behaving as a mature politician now and time has come that Government of India engage him over Kashmir issue,” Dulat told a local news agency, CNS adding that talks between Centre and Separatist groups must continue.
He advised Mirwaiz to take some bold initiatives and come forward for talks with New Delhi. “We cannot blame Mirwaiz only, but New Delhi too is at fault. New Delhi has failed to address immaterial issues like the clearances of passports and other matters related to common people. I think New Delhi should too take some initiatives and give a positive signal to the separatist groups,” Dulat said.
While replying to a question, Dulat said that there is a need to take separatist leaders especially Mirwaiz into confidence and start a meaningful dialogue.
Reacting over the recent revelations made by former Indian Army Chief, General VK Singh, he said that nothing positive would come out even if the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir would summon him.
“Why Singh made such revelations and what was his intention is a matter that needs to be probed. But, I think, this controversy is over now and it would lead us nowhere if we continue to raise this issue,” Dulat told CNS.
He said that if Jammu and Kashmir Government had a feeling that Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir has done something wrong then Mir should have been ousted from the Cabinet. “Inaction against Mir clearly indicates that he is innocent before the government. I fail to understand what Government of Jammu and Kashmir would get by summoning VK Singh,” he said.
Reacting over the recent statement made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that accession with India is conditional, Dulat said that his father has been maintaining day in and day out that accession is final. “New Delhi doesn’t take all comments made on Kashmir seriously. If you analyze his (Omar Abdullah’s) speeches minutely, you would find that he considers accession with India unconditional,” he said.
Dulat further said that Army has no role in politics.
