SRINAGAR, 22 May 2008 — Kashmiri separatists said yesterday that they would not participate in the forthcoming assembly polls as a strike called by the separatist group paralyzed life in capital Srinagar and other towns.
The strike called by the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq shut shops, businesses, educational institutions and government offices in the summer capital while marginal traffic plied on the city roads here.
It was on this day in 1990 that gunmen shot and killed Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq inside his house at Nagin.
While attending the 12th death anniversary of the late Mirwaiz, another senior separatist leader, Abdul Ghani Lone, was killed in Eidgah lawns near the martyr’s graveyard in old city area in 2002.
Addressing a rally to commemorate the death anniversaries of the two separatist leaders in Eidgah yesterday, Umar Farooq said, “Elections have been held in Kashmir since 1947, but they have failed to solve the problems in the past and will fail in future too.” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan.
He said, “We welcome the resumption of foreign-minister level talks between the two countries, but, without the involvement of Kashmiris, the issue cannot be resolved. The issue has to be resolved according to the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. I invite the Indian and Pakistan prime ministers to hold talks in Srinagar to resolve the issue.” The APHC chairman demanded the release of all the detainees and immediate lifting of ban on Pakistani TV channels saying, “Kashmiris have sentimental, cultural and religious attachment with Pakistan and banning of television channels cannot remove those affinities.” Umar urged senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads his own breakaway APHC group, Mohammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front) and Sajad Gani Lone of the People’s Conference to join the moderate APHC fold.
An APHC delegation, led by Umar Farooq, is scheduled to visit Pakistan next month to hold talks with the new civilian government as part of the alliance’s efforts to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
