January 14, 2003	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 10, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Jan 13: Asserting that the survival of South Asia is inescapably linked with the resolution of Kashmir dispute, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, the chief of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, said in an interview on Monday there was no escape route other than dialogue between Pakistan and India to address the issue.

He said that since the situation had aggravated because of the presence of nuclear weapons, a change was shaping up and talks between the two countries were bound to take place, stressing that “dialogue is the only way out to resolve the dispute”.

To a question about Americans’ approach towards the Kashmir issue, Prof Bhat said he saw no change in the policy of the US administration _ that the wishes of the people of Kashmir should be taken into account while addressing the dispute.

Recalling his recent meeting with a US embassy official, Matthew G.Boyse, in New Delhi, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference chief said: “We discussed issues, particularly whatever happens in occupied Kashmir, in terms of bloodshed or what the Americans now call terrorism. This problem has to be understood fairly and honestly. No freedom struggle could be mixed up with terrorism.”

“It does not befit a country like America to consider it a terrorism movement now. And then they talk about terrorism, particularly in terms of mass killings, the attacks on temples and mosques, the attacks on Kashmir assembly and Indian parliament. We told them, no sane Kashmiri could ever think of doing it. Not even a Pakistani, not at all because it would not help them,” Bhat added.

“Neither Pakistani nor Kashmiri, it would only harm them. So who did it? Institute an inquiry, an international inquiry so that the culprits are brought forth,” he suggested, “if he (the culprit) is Kashmiri, I tell you, we will withdraw. We can never be a party to any attack on Kashmir assembly or Indian parliament. Nor of course a party to mass killings of Hindus in Mazhama, Sikhs in Chattisinghpora and Muslims in Surankote.”

Bhat laid the blame at the door of the Indian intelligence agencies. “Who did it? Friends of Indian agencies — Ikhwans under the orders of officers in the police.”

The Hurriyat chief said a member of the held state’s legislative council, Mr Javed Ahmed Shah, is on record to have admitted at a press conference that “we have been carrying out acts of terrorism in (held) Kashmir. We have been doing bank dacoities and mass killings too. We have been doing it on the order of police. As a reward, he (Javed) was taken away after a day or two from his house and brought to New Delhi.

“In Delhi, what he was given, I do not know, but understandably, a passport to travel to a Middle East country. ‘Keep him away for some months because he started speaking the truth’, said the authorities.”

Replying to a question, the APHC chairman said the Americans were guided by realities and more importantly — the dynamics of the situation obtaining in the region, eg security concerns, strategic targets and commercial interests.

These, he added, depended on an improved relationship between Pakistan and India and the improvement in relations depended on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

“Forget about yesterday and what happened yesterday. Capture tomorrow. If you capture tomorrow, you will have to recognize that the future of this region is inescapably linked with the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” added the Chairman.

Prof Bhat said the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination was not negotiable. —APP