ISLAMABAD, 20 January 2007 — A three-member delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq met with President Pervez Musharraf and discussed the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan yesterday.
The delegation that also includes Abdul Ghani Bhatt and Bilal Lone discussed with Musharraf his recent proposals for an amicable settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
President Musharraf told the APHC leaders that Kashmir remains a core issue that needs to be addressed for a sustainable peace in South Asia.
The APHC leaders stressed that inputs from Kashmiri parties on both sides of the border should be incorporated while finalizing any proposal for the settlement of the row.
They called for greater involvement of local leaders in the peace process.
President Musharraf told the APHC team that, “Pakistan is putting in serious efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute in order to promote peace and prosperity in South Asia,” PTV state television reported.
“We appreciate Pakistan’s efforts for a peaceful resolution of the dispute,” Mirwaiz told reporters after meeting Musharraf. The delegates, who arrived Thursday for a five-day visit, earlier held talks with the heads of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) conveying their support for the growing dialogue between the two countries.
Mirwaiz was optimistic about an eventual agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad, but said there were still many obstacles. “Discussion abroad about the fate of Kashmiris gives us hope that the issue will be resolved soon,” he said. In turn, PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat said it was time to make “bold and unpopular decisions,” since the “Kashmiri people are more important for Pakistan than the land (they live on).”
He said Kashmiris have witnessed a lot of bloodshed and now Pakistan and India have realized that solution to the problem does not lie in fighting. “We are exploring all options for a permanent settlement of the dispute.”
Many were angered by Musharraf’s proposal last year to relinquish territorial claims on Kashmir in favor of a joint supervisory mechanism involving the three parties and the local population.
A phased withdrawal of troops and self-governance for Kashmiris are part of the four-point proposal to resolve the dispute.
The APHC delegation also held talks with Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Sardar Attique, Secretary-General of PML (Q) Mushahid Hussain and leaders of other parties in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
Meanwhile, more than 3,000 relatives and friends of fighters killed in the Indian part of Kashmir rallied in Islamabad to protest the ongoing peace talks.
Demonstrators marched along the main road condemning visiting Kashmiri separatist leaders and chanting slogans for jihad, or holy war.
The protesters condemned Mirwaiz Farooq for his moderate policies.
Mubashar Hussain, a man who said his son died while fighting in Kashmir, called Mirwaiz an Indian agent. He also criticized President Musharraf for being too flexible on the issue of Kashmir. Protesters briefly clashed with police and accused authorities of stopping relatives of “martyrs” from attending the rally.
