M A I N   N E W S

Hizb to declare ceasefire soon

SRINAGAR, Aug 22 (PTI) —In an apparent break with the Pakistan-based faction, top Hizbul Mujahideen leader in Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Majid Dar today said efforts were under way at the international level to remove the bottlenecks in the way of resumption of talks with the Centre and that the ceasefire would again come into force within two months.

“Efforts at the international level are on to remove the bottlenecks and impediments coming in the way of resumption of the dialogue and I am confident that the ceasefire will again come into force within two months” Dar told CNS, a local news agency, in his first comments after the outfit called off its ceasefire on August 8 accusing India of intransigence.

“Hizb is fully aware of the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state and that is why it is desirous of resumption of talks with the Centre,” Dar, who had initially declared the ceasefire on July 24 only to be called off by the outfit’s Pakistan-based supreme leader Syed Salahuddin later.

Dar, who is chief commander of the organisation in the state, however, said without involving Pakistan in the talks the Kashmir issue could not be resolved.

“Whatever solution comes out of the trilateral talks.... will be acceptable to my organisation irrespective of whether the solution is in favour of India or Pakistan”, Dar said.

Without naming any group or individual, Dar blamed “some vested interests” for failure of the first round of talks between the Centre and the outfit but in an unusual comment lauded Indian intelligence agencies for their efforts and role in trying to settle the issue.

Dar said many people had come forward and were playing a key role to end the deadlock in the talks and appealed to political parties including pro-independence outfits to help create congenial and conducive atmosphere for resumption and successful culmination of the negotiations.

He said even if the ongoing bloodshed continued for 10 more years the parties to the issue would have to come to the negotiating table to resolve the problem. “So it is better to start the meaningful and sincere negotiations early so as to save the people from the bloodbath,” he added.

Stating that the Hurriyat Conference had the “most important” role to play in this regard, Dar disclosed that a committee was being set up to coordinate between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Hurriyat Conference.

Referring to Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s remarks that the proposed talks would be held “secretly” away from media glare, Dar said the outfit was not in favour of holding secret negotiations. “Whatever we do, we do openly in front of the press and the common people.”

Dar also denied there was a rift in the Hizbul Mujahideen on holding the talks and expressed hope that the Centre and Dr Abdullah would act in a “realistic way and adopt a policy which will bring the parties nearer to each other rather than create mistrust.” 

Hurriyat leaders meet Pak officials
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 22 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference top leaders today held an extensive meeting with the officials of the Pakistan High Commission.

Though the Kashmir Awareness Bureau (KAB) spokesman, Mr Abdul Majid Bandey, declined to either deny or confirm the meeting at Pakistan High Commission, the sources maintained that the APHC Chairman, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, along with the former Chairman, Mr S.A.S. Gillani, were with the High Commission officials for about five hours.

Mr Bandey, however, said the Hurriyat leaders had met the JKLF leader, Mr Yasin Malik, who is convalescing in a hospital.

While no details of the talks are available, the sources said the Hurriyat leaders gave a detailed account of the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir where the people’s expectations for return of peace had gone up after the announcement of a ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen.