M A I N   N E W S

Jain hands over letter to Shabir
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 15
Senior separatist leader and chief of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah today received a reply from Mr K.C. Pant, Centre’s chief negotiator, on holding talks with Kashmiri groups. The letter was handed over to him by Mr Naresh Kumar Jain, representative of Mr K.C. Pant, at the office of the DFP at Rajbagh here this morning.

“Everything is in the letter. The letter is important”, Mr Jain said while replying questions by waiting mediapersons at the DFP office. Mr Shah was also present on the occasion after the brief meeting in the office before handing over of the letter. The contents of the letter, however, were not disclosed.

Mr Jain said he had come to invite Mr Shah to visit Delhi for holding discussions on the issue. The date, he said, was yet to be decided. Mr Jain, who arrived with letter here yesterday, returned to New Delhi later today.

Shabir Ahmad Shah, who also replied queries from mediapersons on the occasion, said an apex body meeting of the Democratic Freedom Party here would decide on the further courses of action. He, however, made clear that Mr Pant must first visit Kashmir for holding talks with various Kashmiri groups for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.

“We sought some clarification on Mr K.C. Pant’s invitation for talks to resolve the Kashmir issue... we will study the response from Mr Pant”, Mr Shabir Shah said in reply to questions. He said his party believed in “transparency” and there was an earnest need to resolve the issue pertaining to over a population of 1.20 crore on both sides of the Line of Control.

He hoped that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was “sincere” on the issue, referring to a recent public meeting addressed by him where he reportedly said that priority was being given to have friendly relations with Pakistan.

Mr Shah said it was the Kashmir issue alone which had led to three wars between India and Pakistan.

The DFP executive later met to deliberate on the contents of the letter.

Several leaders of the DFP, including Mr Saleem Geelani and Moulana Abdullah Tari, who earlier this month had handed over a letter from the party to Mr Pant in New Delhi, were also present.

The two leaders on May 2 handed over a letter to Mr Pant in New Delhi seeking clarification on four points.

The DFP is the only major separatist group to have responded, though cautiously, to the Centre’s offer for talks. It has sought clarification on the subject. Mr Shabir Shah said today the apex body would mainly look into the response on the clarification sought by his party.

Most separatist groups, including the 23-party conglomeration of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference have rejected the offer talks by the Centre. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and leaders of the Awami National conference Ghulam Mohammad Shah has agreed to the talks, provided Mr Pant visits Kashmir to hold parleys with various groups.