SRINAGAR, 1 May — Prominent Kashmiri separatist leader and chief of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Shabir Shah, yesterday announced that a three-member delegation of his party was visiting New Delhi to “seek certain clarification from central interlocutor K.C. Pant, regarding a dialogue on Kashmir.”
Talking to newsmen after his party working committee meeting, Shah said that “in principle I am not opposed to any dialogue and deliberations but the objective of such a process must be made clear before my party joins such parleys.”
Pant has invited prominent separatist groups for peace talks, including Shabir Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party (DFP). Shah said the invitation letter had some “ambiguities” which needed to be clarified before he agreed to start a dialogue.
Shah nominated three close aides — Muhammad Abdullah Tari, Saleem Geelani and Hakim Abdul Rashid — to travel to Delhi. “They will be carrying a written reply to Pant’s invitation,” said Shah during a news conference here.
“The team will seek his (Pant’s) written reply.” Activist groups have rejected the government offer and Shah’s decision to send a delegation prompted an immediate warning.
“Those who talk to India are anti the Kashmir movement and anti-Islam,” said Mushtaq Zargar, chief commander of the Al-Umar Mujahedeen outfit.
“We warn the team not to visit New Delhi,” Zargar said. “If they do, they will be responsible for the consequences.”
Last week, Kashmir’s main separatist alliance, the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, rejected the talks offer, saying Pakistan would have to be involved in any effort to seek a permanent resolution of the long-standing Kashmir dispute.
“Kashmir issue can only be resolved through tri-partite talks,” the Hurriyat said.
The Hurriyat also made it clear that any dialogue would be conditional on the alliance’s leaders being allowed to travel to Pakistan for talks with officials and activist groups there.
Shah appeared to echo the Hurriyat’s sentiments, saying Pakistan’s involvement was a pre-requisite for genuine progress in any dialogue.
However, he criticized the alliance for rejecting Pant’s invitation outright.
“They should have gone to the table and told Pant to his face what lacks in the offer.” Shah said he was “not scared” by the militant threats and also “not naive” enough to take the Indian offer without a grain of salt.
“I am well aware of the Indian tricks... They want to show to the world that they are ready but Kashmiris are not coming forward for the talks to settle the issue,” Shah said.
“I want to show to the world that Kashmiris are ready for talks, provided they give us what we have been demanding and struggling for over the last 50 years.”
India suspended counter-insurgency operations against activist groups in Kashmir on Nov. 28.
Meanwhile, seven civilians have been killed in a series of shoot-outs and explosions in Kashmir in the past 24 hours, police said yesterday.
