Srinagar: A joint meeting of Hurriyat Conference Executive Council, General Council and Working Committee presided over by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday called for urgent need to restore dialogue and channels of communication between “hostile” India and Pakistan.
The meeting, held here at Hurriyat Conference Rajbagh Headquarters, discussed at length the present political situation in Jammu and Kashmir and took stock of the organizational affairs besides issues confronting the resistance movement, a spokesman issued here said.
“The members during the meeting emphasized the need for unity among resistance leadership, activists and people and said that the institution of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) needs to be strengthened and promoted at all levels.”
Expressing concern over the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan on borders, the meeting stated that a dangerous trend has started on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir due to heavy and continuous exchange of fire between the armies of India and Pakistan which has caused loss of innocent lives and property on both sides and has forced thousands of people living near the borders to leave their home and hearth and migrate to some safer place.
Terming it as most “unfortunate and painful,” the meeting stressed the urgent need to restore dialogue and channels of communication between the two hostile neighbors and urged them take immediate steps to de-escalate the war like situation on LoC and borders which was causing death and suffering to people on both sides and was leading to their forced migration.
The Hurriyat Conference said there was no other way to resolution of issues between the two neighbours except through deliberations and dialogue.
“They said the main cause of all this hostility that is draining both the nations and putting them against each other and making them pawns in the hands of global powers, using this hostility to further their own interests, is the unresolved Kashmir dispute.”
Both nations have no choice other than to address it and the sooner the better for all in the region. The Hurriyat Conference said as the main stakeholders of the Kashmir dispute, the will and aspirations of the people of Kashmir will have to be addressed and sincere dialogue among the three i.e. India Pakistan and Kashmiris provides the best opportunity to that end. “Status quo and lingering of the issue will only escalate the cost for all the stakeholders but will not change anything the members observed.”
The meeting expressed serious concern over the unending bloodshed, killing of innocents, harassment of youth, frequent searches in every nook and corner of Valley and the “reign of terror” unleashed by the government forces under the patronage of ruling regime, stating that history was witness that no genuine struggle can be crushed through military might. “The meeting observed that no amount of suppression or oppression can force the people of Kashmir to give up their struggle. Kashmir is a political and human issue which needs to resolved through a meaningful dialogue in accordance with wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. “
The meeting also discussed the “sad” incident of last night that took place at amalgam’s senior leader Fazul Haq Qureshi’s residence and expressed serious concern over it.
The meeting keeping in with the decision taken place in last Executive Council meeting last week discussed the measures to make Hurriyat Conference more vibrant and enhance its functional capacity by increasing political activities and contacts with the people.
“The deliberations of the meeting remaining inconclusive it was decided to continue the same in the next meeting of the amalgam.”