M A I N   N E W S

14 delegations meet Pant
Views range from separate homeland to trifurcation
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 1
The government’s chief negotiator, Mr K.C. Pant, arrived here today on a two-day visit to “understand the difficulties, aspirations and dreams of people and politicians of different hues.”

As many as 16 delegations of several political parties, ethnic groups, men from the fourth estate and other individuals met Mr Pant and briefed him on the security scenario in the state and the demands of the people.

At the airport, Mr Pant said he had come to Jammu to understand the “aspirations and dreams” of the people of the region. He said after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s peace initiative, it had become necessary to understand the demands and desires of the people. “It is necessary to seek the views of different political organisations and ethnic groups.”

When reminded about APHC Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat’s statement that Mr Pant had no role now when the Prime Minister and Pakistan’s Chief Executive were scheduled to meet next month, Mr Pant said: “It is his viewpoint.” He had the same reply when he was asked to comment on Mr Omar Abdullah’s statement that Mr Pant’s mission had no relevance after the stage was set for direct Indo-Pak talks.

As many as 14 delegations met Mr Pant today. The first was a five-member team of the Gujjar Front led by its President, Mr Anwar Chowdhary. Mr Chowdhary is said to have informed Mr Pant that people in Jammu region continued to face discrimination from the valley-dominated political leadership. He favoured separate statehood for Jammu.

Others who called on him included senior leaders from the BJP, the Congress, the Panun Kashmir and the Panthers Party. While the Dr Agnishekhar faction of the Panun Kashmir supported the demand for a separate homeland for secular forces, especially Pandits in the valley, those from the Congress and the BJP opposed trifurcation of the state. The Panthers Party delegation also demanded separate statehood for Jammu.

The Joint Working Council of the Panun Kashmir headed by Dr Agnishekhar and the Panun Kashmir Movement has blamed the state and Central Governments both for ignoring the minority community, whose homeland is Kashmir. The council made it clear to Mr Pant that nothing short of a separate homeland could result in suitable rehabilitation of the community that had been in exile for the past 11 years.

The council members made it clear to Mr Pant that the Pandits had been forced out of the valley as part of ethnic cleansing launched by fundamentalists.

Mr Haji Abdul Majid, General Secretary, Front for Trilateral Resolution of the JK Problem, has in a letter to Mr Pant demanded independent status for the Kashmir valley and for other regions and ethnic groups maximum possible constitutional autonomy. It has favoured mutual cooperation and friendship between India and Pakistan to guarantee peace in the subcontinent.

While Mr Pant heard pro-Pak and Pro-Azadi views in the Kashmir valley, in Jammu the thrust was on separate statehood and at least regional councils. In Leh the demand was for union territory status. This, however, was opposed my Muslims in Kargil district.

The chief negotiator will meet another dozen delegations tomorrow before he flies back to Delhi where he will brief the Prime Minister on his assessment of the situation in the state.

Pant’s attitude rigid: Geelani
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 1
Former APHC Chairman and senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has described Mr K.C. Pant’s Kashmir exercise without addressing the “basic issue” as futile for restoration of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to the Centre’s “commitments at the national and international levels”, Syed Ali Shah Geelani questioned the timing of Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India. Stressing the need to “address the real issue in its historical perspective”, Syed Geelani held that Mr Pant’s exercise was in conformity with the “rigid attitude” of the Centre vis-a-vis resolving the Kashmir issue.

Talking to TNS here today, Syed Geelani held the Indian National Congress (INC) stand was clear on seeking the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and that the Army had landed in Kashmir five decades back only conditionally. He added the people of the state fought for the “right of self-determination” since 1947 and many “sacrifices” were made during the past five decades. He pointed out that these sacrifices were not made for any share in power or other benefits.

The separatist Hurriyat Conference, comprising 23 organisations, has already rejected the offer of the “peace talks” by the Centre’s chief negotiator, Mr Pant. It has not responded to Mr Pant’s letter to enter into a dialogue for “restoration of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir”. Even as the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee advised the Hurriyat Conference to talk to Mr Pant the Hurriyat Chairman, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat, refused to do so. The executive body of the APHC on Monday last sought its involvement in the talks between the Prime Minister and the Chief Executive of Pakistan, Gen Pervez Misharraf, scheduled to be held early next month.

Mr Pant, who is currently busy in meeting a cross-section of people in Jammu and Kashmir, said here yesterday the “peace process” was started at two levels. One was at the level of the heads of the two neighbouring countries and the second at his level which entailed talking to various Kashmiri groups. This, he said, after having a meeting with the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Ghulam Mohammad Shah. He has described the exercise in the state as a “beginning of the process”.

The only separatist leader whom the Centre’s chief negotiator met here this week was the chief of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah.

Mr Shah described the meeting as “informal” and had suggested certain points before entering into a “formal dialogue” with the Centre. He sought to review the decision of the withdrawl of unilateral ceasefire, release of detainees end to the “excesses and attrocities” at the hands of security forces and free movement of the separatist leaders across the state for creating “more conductive” atmosphere to pave the way for tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat is also in favour of having a meeting with General Musharraf to discuss the “sensitive issue of Kashmir” and consider “positive and peaceful” means to solve it. He reiterated that the APHC favours tripartite talks on Kashmir after India accepted Kashmir as a “dispute”.

Pak seeks Russia’s mediation on Kashmir

Moscow, June 1
Weeks ahead of the Indo-Pakistan summit, Pakistan’s military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf has sought Russia’s mediation in dialogue with India on Kashmir. At the same time, he expressed displeasure over Moscow’s ‘one-sided backing’ of India.

In an interview with the leading Russian daily Izvestia, published on Thursday, General Musharraf said Islamabad, which had traditionally sought US mediation on the Kashmir issue, would welcome Moscow’s mediation in talks with India.

Regretting Moscow’s refusal to sell modern weapons to Islamabad, General Musharraf said, “We are very much interested in Sukhoi-30 fighter planes. We have money and would like to buy them.”

“Unfortunately, we do not know what is required for a change in Russia’s stand of one-sided backing of India and develop relations with the people of Pakistan also.” He said Islamabad was eager to improve its relations with Moscow and develop close trade and defence ties.

Asked if Pakistan would carry out further nuclear tests and enhance its nuclear capabilities, General Musharraf said Islamabad would continue its nuclear programme to keep pace with India. “India’s published doctrine shows that it has no desire to curb its nuclear ambitions,” he said. UNI