PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday welcomed the Hurriyat Conference’s willingness to hold talks with the Centre, saying it was ‘better late than never’.
“Dair aye durust aye (better late than never). Theunderlying purpose of the PDP-BJP alliance was to facilitate dialogue betweenthe GoI& all stakeholders. Tried my best to make it happen in my tenure asCM but relieved that Hurriyat has finally softened their stand,” formerChief Minister Mehbooba said in a tweet.
She was referring to Hurriyat Conference chairman MirwaizUmar Farooq’s call for a tripartite talk between the Kashmiri leadership, NewDelhi and Islamabad for resolution of all issues, including Kashmir.
Besides touching on the need for a dialogue during hisFriday sermons at Jamia Masjid, the Mirwaiz in his Eid-ulFitr sermon earlierthis month had sought confidence building measures between India and Pakistanthat could facilitate the revival of talks between the two countries.
Governor Satya Pal Malik, while addressing a function hereon Saturday, had said the Hurriyat had softened its stand and were ready fortalks after he took charge of the state in August last year.
“The Hurriyat Conference was not willing to talk. RamVilas Paswan was standing at their door (in 2016) but they were not ready totalk. Today, they are ready for talks and want to hold dialogue. There ischange in everyone,” Malik had said.
The governor’s statement has given rise to speculations thatthe Centre might be opening dialogue channels with the separatists in Kashmirin near future.
BAIG WELCOMES
Meanwhile, Senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader andformer Deputy Chief Minister MuzaffarHussianBaig said that it (willingness totalk) is a realistic and wise step by the Hurriyat Conference chairman MirwaizUmar Farooq and hoped that Central government will positively react to it.
He, according to local news agency KNS, said that GovernorSatya Pal Malik’s statement on dialogue is also welcome. “If wewant to protect and maintain the constitutional identity of the state andrespect the sentiments of the people of Kashmir, we don’t have any alternativeto dialogue,” Baig told KNS, while hailing the statement of Mirwaiz.