Hurriyat (G) Opposes Pak Invite

‘Visit Could Be Used As A Tool To Gain Political Mileage In Pakistan’

SRINAGAR: Sharp differences within the separatist camp came to fore Tuesday when Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani decided against visiting Pakistan at this juncture saying it would not be opportune at a time when the neighboring country was going to polls to elect its new government. It apprehended the visit could be used as a tool to gain political mileage in Pakistan.  

“The nation has offered tremendous sacrifices and the Hurriyat Conference entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding these understands that it should never use its Forum in the election politics of Pakistan or play any role in it,” Hurriyat Conference (G) spokesperson, Ayyaz Akbar, said in a statement issued at the end of a 2-day meeting of the conglomerate’s Majlis-e-Shoora.

Chaired by Geelani and attended by heads or their representatives of all the constituents, the extraordinary meeting discussed the Pakistani invite for a visit by the conglomerate later this month taking into consideration all its pros and cons and other factors. It was noted that among the three principal parties to Kashmir dispute, India alone obstinately created hurdles in its solution as per people’s wishes.

“On the other hand, Pakistan has recognized the dispute and has all along stood by the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 lending political, diplomatic and moral support to them and urging India and word bodies to resolve it,” he said, adding the leadership needed to pursue its goals by continue its struggle against New Delhi at ground zero.

“The Kashmiri leadership should bear in mind that the proposed visit to Pakistan should not be a mere photo opportunity aimed at staying relevant by hogging the newspaper headlines for a week without being bothered about the excesses and atrocities people are being subjected to day in and day out,” he said. . 

The spokesman said it was not proper to make hurried decisions at this juncture. “We are not against any dialogue and indeed would support any consultations to evolve a common strategy for Kashmir resolution. But because elections for Pakistan National Assembly are being conducted in the near future, the present administration would not be able to take any decision on Kashmir. They are busy in election campaign and the participants need some sort of election stunts like an inopportune visit by Kashmiri separatist leaders,” he said.

In an obvious reference to the Hurriyat Conference (M) recent statements to link political freedom of Kashmir with the state’s economic independence, Hurriyat (G) spokesman said “some quarters are trying to change the status of Kashmir issue by hyping trade and commerce across LoC as a precursor for achieving the political goal.

“They are trying to deviate from, and undermine, people’s aspirations by changing their goalpost. Some quarters are bent upon motivating people to accord a higher priority to trade over, and dilute, the core political issue,” he said, adding the economic conditions in Kashmir were far better with no famine-like situation in the state than what was in evidence both in India and Pakistan.

Reiterating the conglomerate’s well-known stand that it was not opposed to trade ties   between India and Pakistan but these should not be at the cost of huge sacrifices offered by the people of Kashmir. “Potatoes and onions cannot be accorded any prominence over the bodies of Kashmiri people. Earlier, Hurriyat Conference rejected the 4-point formula offered by the former Pakistani general, Parvez Musharraf, and would not allow any accord or settlement that compromised the sacrifices of Kashmiris,” he said.

The spokesman said Hurriyat Conference (G) was not opposed to any dialogue but a conducive atmosphere was a prerequisite for it which would not possible unless India unambiguously accepted the disputed nature of Kashmir, initiated process of withdrawal of its armed forces, revoked all black laws, unconditionally released Kashmiri prisoners, prosecuted the officers and personnel of armed forces involved in the massacre of innocent Kashmiris.

The meeting asked the Hurriyat Conference (G) representative in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, and others of its leaders there to project the Kashmir issue in its right perspective and counter the misgivings being created over it there.

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