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| August 9, 2003 | Saturday | Jumadi-us-Sani 10, 1424 |
APHC ready to help boost peace process
NEW DELHI Aug 8: The All-Party Hurriyat Conference on Friday said it was ready to play an effective role in strengthening the peace process between Pakistan and India to create an ambience which could lead to durable and honourable resolution of Kashmir dispute.
“The raison d’etre of the meetings with foreign diplomats in the capital was to reiterate the APHC’s views and earnest desire for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue process,” APHC chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari told APP in an exclusive interview here at the Maharani Guest House.
Spelling out initial steps needed to promote conducive atmosphere to facilitate the resolution of the dispute, he emphasized that Indian security forces be repatriated to barracks, freedom fighters put their guns down and all political detainees be released.
He said that without the involvement of the people of Kashmir, no solution of the Kashmir problem would be possible.
Underscoring the need for “durable, honourable and acceptable” resolution of the Kashmir dispute to three parties India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.
“There is a strong realization among intellectuals of both sides — India and Pakistan — that a peaceful resolution of Kashmir problem is indispensable for durable peace in the region.”
The three-member APHC delegation, comprising APHC Chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, former chairmen Prof Abdul Ghani Bhatt and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, held meetings with foreign diplomats including from Pakistan, Iran, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland and Ireland.
The APHC chairman said during meetings with foreign diplomats, the team had apprised them about the APHC’s desire to carry forward peace process to resolve the core issue of Kashmir.
He said that there was a complete unanimity of views and unity in the ranks of Hurriyat Conference towards the Kashmir problem. There have been several press reports suggesting disunity in the APHC ranks.
“My election as Chairman APHC was unanimous with all members except the Jamaat-i-Islami, which was busy in its elections,” he said, adding that the JI had also welcomed and greeted him (Maulana Ansari) later over the unanimous election.
He regretted that despite pronouncement of so-called Healing- Touch policy of the IHK government, there was no let up in the human rights violations and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiris.
Terming the election process as based on massive rigging in Indian Held Kashmir, Maulana Abbas Ansari said that such arrangements were no answer to the problem of Kashmir.
Referring to an extraordinary meeting held in New Delhi with the Indian Kashmir Committee this week, he said that the APHC had agreed to help consolidate the peace process to settle problems in a peaceful manner.
He said that during the meeting, the APHC had reiterated its views, shared by the IKC that in any dialogue, which addresses Kashmir issue, everyone should abandon extremist stands and rise above their traditional positions.
The APHC, he said, would articulate these ideas to the Kashmir Committee at a meeting, to be held once three of its members return from their forthcoming visit to Pakistan.
Referring to the proposal regarding conversion of the Line of Control into international border, he said that it was neither an answer to the problem nor practicable.—APP
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