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July 20, 2003
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Sunday
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Jumadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1424
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Fazl, Umar call for Kashmiris’ role in talks
By Jawed Naqvi
NEW DELHI, July 19: JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday met Kashmir’s spiritual head and former APHC chief Maulvi Umar Farooq and both called for the participation of Kashmiris in talks between India and Pakistan to resolve the bloody Himalayan dispute.
The JUI leader told Dawn that his remarks were misquoted by an Indian news channel in which he was reported to have agreed to accepting the Line of Control in Kashmir as an acceptable border.
“I have been repeatedly saying that any option on the issue of Kashmir should be discussed by the concerned senior officials of both the countries,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman said. “Leaders should abstain from publicly airing their views as these are sensitive matters and could lead to complications if not discreetly handled.”
He denied saying anything that could be construed as approving of the LOC as a potential border. “All that we can say is that the wishes of the Kashmiri people should be respected on all issues related to their homeland.”
On Thursday, he had said that Kashmir was a big issue but both the countries had the Shimla Agreement as a guiding principle to solve their disputes bilaterally.
JUI had in the past called for third-party mediation in the dispute without naming a preferred arbitrator.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said his change of mind stemmed from the US-led war in Afghanistan.
Mirwaiz Umar farooq told Dawn that the Shimla Agreement had preceded by many years the “sacrifices of the martyrs of Kashmir” and therefore the issue had to be seen in the context of the new reality.
The APHC said in a statement on Saturday in Srinagar that it was not necessarily opposed to the Shimla Accord.
It said first, the Hurriyat wants the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir to be taken note of. Then, there should be a time frame for resolving the problem. Third, the statement said, Kashmiris should be accepted as the basic party to the issue and be involved in the talks.
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