APHC DELEGATION VISIT TO PAKISTAN A SUCCESSFUL EXERCISE: MIRWAIZ

Srinagar, Dec 28: (Only Kashmir):  APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today convened an extraordinary joint meeting of the conglomerate’s executive and general council at the party headquarters. The meeting was attended by the heads of all the constituent members of the conglomerate. Apart from discussing the ongoing political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the recently concluded visit of the high level hurriyat delegation to Pakistan also came under the discussions.

APHC Chairman apprised the participants about the visit to Pakistan and its historical importance and its concrete results in connection with the solution of Kashmir. He also made them aware about the changing political scenario on global level regarding Kashmir issue.

Terming the recent visit of APHC delegation to Pakistan as a successful exercise, Mirwaiz said that Aphc leadership met the members of Pakistani establishment including the present dispensation, the members of the opposition, civil society and leader from Azad Kashmir. He said intense deliberations were held with them in connection with the solution of K issue. He further said that the hurriyat delegation had a mandate of the Kashmiri public, adding, a month long discussions were held with intellectuals, traders, and other shades of society in Jammu and Kashmir before leaving for the visit.

He said the government of Pakistan and People of Pakistan had a similar view regarding the Kashmir issue. Mirwaiz further stated that APHC visit to Pakistan should be seen in a realistic perspective in context with the Kashmir dispute.

APHC Chairman said that the conglomerate was not against the confidence building measures taken by the Pakistan and India to improve the relations even if the various issues like Sir Creek, Siachen and Water are yet to be resolved. He, however, said that without solving K issue, the CBM’s would prove to be a futile exercise between the two countries. He said solution of K issue was a key to resolve all other lingering issues between India and Pakistan. Asserting a new thinking was emerging regarding the world conflicts after the Arab Spring, Mirwaiz stressed on India to take a cue from the people’s movement around the globe and accept the ground reality. He said GOI should shun its traditional policy of obduracy on K dispute as it would only complicate the problem instead of resolving it. He said the mass participation of Kashmiri people in the revolutions of 2008 and 2010 had already proved that Kashmiri aspiration and emotions can’t be ignored, if any political process has to be made result-oriented. Mirwaiz said the world was not seeing Kashmir as a dispute between two countries, but as a vital international conflict whose resolution was must to bring peace and stability to south Asia.   He said the time has come to show the political resolve and take bold steps to solve the dispute for once and all.

APHC Chairman stressed that K dispute should seen also be seen through the prism of Afghanistan. He said as Indo-pak relations are  also viewed though the Afghan conflict, it holds true for Kashmir conflict as well. He said that the bilateral engagements have always proven to be meaningless to solve Kashmir issue. Mirwaiz said Tashkent, Shimla and Agra agreements have proven that.(OK)