SRINAGAR, 22 May 2007 — The separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) yesterday unveiled its road map on Kashmir and asked New Delhi not to be scared of a bold initiative to resolve the Kashmir problem.
Addressing a public rally at the martyrs graveyard in Eidgah, APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq ruled out participation in polls saying, “We want a permanent settlement of the Kashmir issue and elections are no solution to the problem.”
The mirwaiz said that New Delhi was scared of taking a bold initiative to resolve the Kashmir problem. “The gun is no solution to the Kashmir problem which can only be settled through a dialogue which has to be unconditional.”
Urging New Delhi to build a national consensus, the mirwaiz said, “India has to evolve a consensus and take all major political parties on board for a solution to the problem.”
Yesterday’s rally was held in the Eidgah grounds and coincided with the death anniversaries of two prominent separatist leaders, Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone.
“APHC is ready to respond to any initiative aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue and the prime minister should involve all the political parties including BJP in evolving a consensus to resolve the issue.”
Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, the chief spokesman of the separatist conglomerate while addressing the rally said that APHC’s self-governance was not something of a concession like autonomy.
“Self-governance means the state should have its own president, prime minister, constitution, assembly, supreme court and an independent election commission.”
He said some forces were opposing President Musharraf’s four point formula and instead were advocating a lifelong armed struggle. “We are not prepared to jump into the fire. If there is total demilitarization and soft borders we are ready to participate in the elections.”
Meanwhile, most shops, businesses and schools were closed after a daylong strike called by the APHC.
The streets were deserted in Srinagar and other towns in the Himalayan territory where most government offices also closed for the day. There were no immediate reports of violence. However, police and security forces were on alert.
