JOIN USChairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said some people were expecting the Centre to take bold steps on Kashmir. “But they have decided to send an all-party team to Kashmir. What would the delegation do after coming to Kashmir,” he asked. “People in India and the world know what Kashmiris want. The government of India should put an end to the ongoing bloodshed and take concrete steps to resolve the issue,” he said.
Geelani said the Centre should accept his five conditions and only then could there be a breakthrough on Kashmir. His conditions include declaring Kashmir disputed, demilitarisation, end to human rights violations and release of Kashmiri prisoners, including Mohammad Afzal Guru facing death in the Parliament attack case.
Chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said the Centre was trying to mislead people on Kashmir. “What purpose will sending a delegation to Kashmir serve? The all-party meeting in New Delhi couldn’t make a minor amendment to AFSPA; how can it solve the Kashmir issue,” he asked.
He said the Centre should immediately end killings and take confidence-building measures to help solve the problem.Chairman of the pro-independence JKLF, Mohammad Yasin Malik, said the outcome of the all-party meeting was disappointing. “It clearly indicates that the government wants to crush the people,” he said.