SRINAGAR: Separatist groups have strongly reacted to New Delhi’s decision to block a meeting between Hurriyat groups and Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit in New Delhi. Although Shabir Shah, heading one of Hurriyat factions, met with the Pakistani ambassador Abdul Basit on Monday, but a bevy of protesters booed him outside Pakistan High Commission.
The meeting was scheduled ahead of Indo-Pak foreign secretary level talks.
“Pakistan assured me that the government at Islamabad would continue with the traditional stand on Pakistan. He told me that the Pakistan would not move an inch from its stand on Kashmir,” Shah told Kashmir Observer over phone from New Delhi.
Other separatist groups too have sharply reacted to the New Delhi’s decision to stall the Srinagar-Islamabad talks. “It is a routine exercise that whenever Pakistan government makes any progress with respect to the Kashmir issue, they first of all hold deliberations with the Kashmiri leadership and it is also a perfect and appropriate action because Kashmiri nation is the prime party to the dispute, who shell be properly consulted before any dialogue on this issue,” says Hurriyat G spokesman Ayaz Akbar.
Akbar further said that Congress’ opposition to the meeting was a proof that Congress party has all along been a hurdle in the resolution of Kashmir dispute. He called upon The former foreign minister of India Salman Khursheed asking him to clarify if these meetings were not against the diplomatic principles in the Congress. The spokesman said that Syed Ali Geelani will go to Delhi any way to participate in the Pakistan high commissioner meeting and “if India will not allow the said meeting then it will prove their weightlessness and the whole world will come to know the fraud and false claim of being a big democracy in the world.” The statements of Congress and BJP regarding the meeting of the pro-freedom leadership are only to score the points otherwise both the parties know that by doing this, they can neither terrify the pro-freedom leadership nor can they succeed in changing the stand of Pakistan government on Kashmir issue, the spokesman added.
Yasin Malik, Chairman of JKLF, has wondered why the Modi-led NDA government has chosen to block the meeting while their predecessor and model Atal Bihari Vajpayee had rather facilitated such meetings. ” This government increasingly gives out the notion that the RSS agenda is it’s guiding principle,” Malik told Kashmir Observer who is leaving for Delhi Tuesday to see off his Pakistani wife.
“Kashmiris are the fundamental party to the dispute. After all India and Pakistan are discussing Kashmir and the genuine representatives of Kashmir are supposed to be taken on board.”
Shabir A Shah, another separatist leader who heads one of the Hurriyat factions, met with the Pakistani envoy on Monday. “Pakistan acknowledges the fact that Kashmiris are the primary party to the dispute. India doesn’t want to acknowledge this starker fact. This is for the first time in 24 years that a meeting between Pakstani authorities and Kashmris is being blocked. It will not help the peacemaking efforts,” Shabir Shah said.
A spokesman of Hurriyat Conference M has also regretted the India’s refusal to allow a scheduled meeting between Kashmiri representatives and Pakistani ambassador. Terming the Congress’ opposition to such a meeting as bizarre, the Hurriyat Spokesman said , ” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will meet the Pakistani High Commissioner as per schedule on Tuesday. Congress leadership should not vent its
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
