Srinagar, June 2: The non-governmental Kashmir Committee on Thursday claimed that Kashmir solution was not too far.
 “I cannot claim, we have found the solution or will find it within 2-3 days. But, the solution is not difficult. There is mood of friendship and settlement in Pakistan and I am convinced that solution of Kashmir will be found much sooner than we can imagine,” the panel head, Ram Jehatmalani told reporters after meeting Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani here.
 The four member committee comprising Jethmalani, former Foreign Secretary V K Grover, rights activist Madhu Kishwar and Waheed-ur-Rehman arrived on 5-day trip here this morning to hold talks with different shades of opinion.
 Jethmalani said that there was dire need to remove bottlenecks, hindering the peaceful resolution of  the Kashmir issue. “The solution of Kashmir can be achieved only through peaceful dialogue, but violence cannot lead to anything,” he said.
 About the revival of panel which was earlier active from 2002-2004, the Bharatiya Janta Party Member Parliament said time was ripe to revive the effort to find a solution.
 “We will meet people of different shades of opinion and have already sought appointments with them,” he said, adding that they would prepare a document on Kashmir.
 The BJP leader said that the people of Kashmir want peace.
 About meeting with Geelani, he said, “I have known his stand on Kashmir since years. I told him it is my responsibility to inform the people and the politicians about the grievances of Kashmiris."

SYED ALI SHAH GEELANI
 After meeting the delegation, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that amalgam wants peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue. “But resolution should be in accordance with the historical perspective and the promises made with Kashmiris," he said. Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman said there was unanimity that “there should be peaceful resolution of dispute and the people of all the regions of state should be allowed to decide their fate.”
 Geelani said India tops the list of countries importing the war weapons, only to keep Kashmir under its control.
 He said that he informed the delegation that over 354 persons were killed by the forces since 2008. “Even the youth who picked up stones for self-defence were harassed and booked under Public Safety Act and shifted to Jammu jails,” he said. 

 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
 Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said it was the moral responsibility of Indian civil society to help in the resolution of Kashmir.
“We welcome the revival of the panel.  But it is their (panel) duty to make the Indian masses aware  about the  situation in Kashmir .It is not an administrative or a governance problem, but the issue  is concerned with the sentiments and aspirations of people,” Mirwaiz told reporters after the meeting.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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