Under track 2 diplomacy, the Centre for Peace and Progress Chairman and noted Indian civil society member OP Shaw met Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Geelani at his Hyderpora residence here on Wednesday.
“It was a fruitful meeting and we exchanged our ideas with regard to Kashmir with each other. I told him about the outcome of my recent visit to Pakistan where I addressed different conferences in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad between March 4 to 23,” Shaw was quoted as having said by the local newsgathering agency CNS.
Shaw said he was “pained to listen from Geelani Sahab that political workers are being harassed inside jails.”
“I immediately brought the matter to the notice of the police. I in fact told Geelani Sahab that I will raise the issue with the ministry of Home Affairs. Everyone is equal before law and nobody should be harassed on the one or the other pretext,” Shaw said.
“Geelani Sahab complained that some political workers are still languishing in jails given the fact they have spent their required period there. I will raise the issue with concerned quarters and hopefully the case of those Kashmiri prisoners who deserve freedom will be reviewed,” he said.
Shaw said the main objective of his visit was to persuade Geelani to start a dialogue with the government of India. “I told Geelani Sahab that solution to every problem lies in dialogue to which he responded that nothing positive ever came up after they entered into talks with New Delhi.”
Shaw said that it was a lengthy meeting that lasted for about 2 hours. “I am leaving for New Delhi and will visit Kashmir again to hold meetings with Hurriyat leaders,” he said.
Responding to a question, OP Shaw said that he requested Geelani to start a dialogue as “gun is not a solution to this long pending issue.”