SRINAGAR, July 23: The fresh initiative of home ministry to restart stalled dialogue process with separatists aimed to calm down ongoing unrest in Kashmir has failed to achieve any breakthrough, as Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar refused to talk to Track II members for resuming dialogue with the centre.
Under Track II diplomacy a three-member team has arrived Srinagar from New Delhi to create a congenial atmosphere for restarting the dialogue which had broken down between the two sides since 2006. The delegation comprising Retd Admiral K.K.Nayyar, former V.C. Jammu University Prof Amitab Mattoo and Prof Radha Kumar initially contacted Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for holding a meeting with him and other members of his faction.
The faction leaders said that Mirwaiz Umar, who is under house arrest refused to meet the delegation members unless New Delhi announces comprehensive political package for Jammu and Kashmir. The faction has also communicated to the members that unless political leaders, who have been arrested by government during ongoing agitation are not released, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) revoked and human rights violations end, no talks will be possible with the centre.
Senior Hurriyat (M) leader Shahid-ul- Islam told the Kashmir Times that he communicated the message of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to the delegation members that no talks will be held with them under such a worsening security situation in Kashmir. He also said that unless human rights violations are stopped, political leaders are released Mirwaiz has decided not to talk to any one from the centre. He also said that entire Kashmir valley is under the siege of army and no result-oriented talks are possible under such a situation.
The negative response of Mirwaiz faction is a big setback to the fresh initiative of home ministry to restarting the dialogue with separatist leadership to ease the growing unrest in valley.
The other faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani was already opposing any such move of dialogue unless New Delhi admits disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir. The faction also said that no such talks are possible as Geelani and other faction leaders have been arrested by government since they started the “Quit Kashmir” programme a month earlier.
However, the delegation held talks with chief minister Omar Abdullah, leader of opposition Mehbooba Mufti who gave their party view points and favored any such move from centre which would restart dialogue with separatist leadership.
The Track II diplomacy people arrived in Kashmir, immediately after central government yesterday made a fresh appeal of talks with separatist leadership. Pressure was mounting on central government within and outside after growing unrest in Kashmir which has entered its fourth consecutive week now.
The team is expected to submit its report to the centre within a couple of days. It has almost become clear now that separatist leadership will not become part of any dialogue with centre in near future unless centre announces Kashmir related confidence building measure, which would help to end growing unrest in the valley.
