Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said the strong mandate given to Bhartiya Janata Party by the people of India must be cashed as a big opportunity by Prime Minister NarendraModi to resolve Kashmir issue which is consuming human lives on daily basis.
He said if the new dispensation in New Delhi led by PM Modiwould revive the process initiated the former Prime Ministers AtalBihariVajpayee and DrManmohan Singh on Kashmir, Hurriyat would extend its allpossible support so that a “permanent and dignified solution is found to thevexed issue.” Mirwaiz said key to the development and peace in South Asia liesin the resolution of the Kashmir issue that is taking a dangerous turn witheach passing day.
“This strong mandate should be used as a “big opportunity”to resolve the Kashmir issue forever,” Mirwaiz said addressing a mammothgathering at Jamia Masjid Srinagar on Jumat-ul-Vida (last Friday of Ramadhan).
Mirwaiz said: “I believe that Kashmir issue cannot beresolved militarily or through confrontation but by dialogue and deliberations.Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s repeated offer of dialogue on all issues between Indiaand Pakistan including Kashmir should be seriously considered by the newdispensation in New Delhi as the way forward.”
Mirwaiz said today all Kashmiris irrespective of theirorganisational affiliations are speaking in one voice about the urgent need forresolution of the conflict.
“So it is an opportune time to initiate political processwhich enables and facilitates conflict resolution.”
Mirwaiz said as in the past Hurriyat is willing to supportevery such initiative which aims at peaceful resolution of the dispute keepingin view the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Kashmir who are themain stakeholders.
“During our engagement with former PM’s Vajpayee andManmohan Singh and after visiting Pakistan, Hurriyat had put forward certainsubstantial measures to both India and Pakistan as precursor to seriousnegotiations,” Mirwaiz said. “Both countries at that time had agreed toimplementing these steps to prepare ground for serious negotiations, itincluded revocation of the AFSPA and other black laws, gradualdemilitarization, prisoner release and initiation of a process to narrowdifferences between the parties to the dispute.” He said these measures holdtrue even today when the situation has only further deteriorated.
He said if these steps are initiated by both sides it willbring relief to people of Kashmir and an atmosphere for sincere engagementamong all stakeholders will be created for a permanent resolution.
Mirwaiz said each day “our youngsters are killed in thisunresolved conflict which has consumed lakhs of lives.”
“South Kashmir has been turned into a permanentbattleground, an expanding graveyard of our young, as we continue to shoulderthe dead daily. We want this long cycle of killings and violence to end,” theKashmir’s chief cleric said. “We don’t want to see our youngsters, or an Indianor Pakistani soldier die in this conflict. India and Pakistan have toacknowledge and address the unresolved political problem in Kashmir.”
He said that without addressing the question of Kashmir,there will be repeated returns to “perilous states of war as we recentlywitnessed.”
“For that it is imperative that democratic processes areinvoked and restored by New Delhi and the policy of repression and militaryapproach are done away with,” he said. “One measure for doing so is the releaseof all political prisoners including Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, AsiyaAndrabi,QasimFaktoo and others before the Eid.”
As the Jumat-ul-Vida was observed as Youm-e-Qudus to expresssolidarity with the people of Palestine, and Youm-e-Kashmir, soon after theculmination of congregational prayers, protests were held outside the Jamia Masjid.The protestors were shouting “free-Palestine” and “resolve Kashmir issue”slogans. Earlier, a resolution framed by the separatist leadership was alsopassed unanimously. The resolution questioned the silence of internationalcommunity over present situation prevailing in Kashmir and urged it to buildpressure on New Delhi to resolve the Kashmir issue in its historic perspective.The resolution also demanded the immediate release of all Kashmiri politicalprisoners languishing in various prisons including the separatist leadersbooked by NIA and Enforcement Directorate.