M A I N   N E W S

It is not enough: APHC
Political package also needed
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 23 — The suspense is over. The Indian Government has extended the ceasefire, which was enforced on November 27, by another month to enable New Delhi to get added political mileage over Pakistan in the world.

The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has supported the government decision but at the same time it has demanded that a political package should supplement it.

A former APHC chairman, Molvi Umar Farooq, said the “extension in the ceasefire is a positive development. However, it alone cannot ensure peace if it is not supplemented with a political package.”

Asked to explain the political package he said “bilateral or trilateral talks should be initiated to make the ceasefire a meaningful exercise.”

The Kashmir Mirwaiz said “ceasefire in isolation cannot bring about peace and the resolution of the Kashmir issue.” He said if there was any problem in initiating tripartite talks the government could begin with a bilateral dialogue and later all other connected parties could be involved in the parleys.

He favoured the resumption of Indo-Pak talks which could give strength to the ceasefire announcement. He, however, expressed surprise over the inordinate delay in granting travel permission to the five-member APHC team. He said three weeks ago the APHC had announced a team of five members who it wanted to visit Pakistan to discuss the Kashmir issue with the government and the rebel leaders. He said so far passports had not been issued to them which clashed with the government’s urge for restoring peace to the state.

Molvi Umar Faooq admitted that the scale of violence and casualties had gone up during the past two months. He said the LoC had remained quiet which was a big gain. He said the dispute and the turmoil needed a political and not a military solution. He explained that the ceasefire announcement was a military approach and the resumption of dialogue could be a political approach.

The state unit of the BJP has opposed further extension in the ceasefire period. The president of the unit, Mr D.K. Kotwal, said: “I am against the enforcement of the ceasefire within the state as it has resulted in the bloodshed.” He said “my party support the ceasefire on the LoC.”

Mr Kotwal demanded a free hand to the security forces to flush out and eliminate militants who had been killing innocent people.

The ruling National Conference leadership had grudgingly accepted the Centre’s decision.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah had remained in Delhi for three days trying to convince the Prime Minister and others that any further extension in the ceasefire could be useless as long as the militants continued to shed blood of innocent people.