Padgaonkar Condemns Geelanis House Arrest

How can we have a dialogue with him when he is under continuous arrest

Srinagar – Former interlocutor on Kashmir, Dileep Padgaonker, Thursday advocated a serious dialogue between New Delhi and resistance leaders for finding a solution to the Kashmir issue. Padgaonker castigated J&K government for keeping the Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali shah Geelani under continuous house arrest.
We have already advocated dialogue with all shades of opinion for resolving Kashmir issue. In our report we had suggested that there should be a serious dialogue with all stakeholders for resolving Kashmir issue, said Padgaonkar.
He said there were many reports pending with the government and that it was high time to act on the suggestions already put forth by various panels.
He said all the stake holders at the National level and those in J&K should be involved in discussing and implementing the interlocutors report.
However, Padgaonkar asserted that their report was not being entirely ignored and some of the Confidence Building Measures suggested by them were in the process of implementation. Let us hope that the PMs visit yields results and peace process comes back on the track, he said, The peace gestures of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shiref need to be reciprocated so that the people of J&K feel a change on the ground.
On Geelanis continuous house arrest, Padgaonkar said, If there has to be a dialogue with Geelani, then he has to be set free. How can we have a dialogue with him when he is under continuous house arrest?
In their 176-page report, made public in May last year, the group of interlocutors had called for a review of all the central laws and articles of the Constitution of India extended to the state after the 1952 Delhi agreement which also gave special status to it under Article 370.
The report also favoured resumption of the dialogue process between the Centre and Hurriyat Conference “at the earliest”.
The report also said that no more central laws and Articles of the Constitution of India should be extended to the state by presidential order.

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