Srinagar, January 15
The separatist Hurriyat Conference, led by Maulvi Abbas Ansari, has constituted a five-member committee to hold talks with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on January 22.
The committee, led by APHC Chairman Maulvi Abbas Ansari, comprises former chairmen, Umar Farooq and Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Fazal Haque Qureshi. Mr Qureshi, one of the general council members, is the only member outside the APHC executive included in the panel. He had earlier also acted as a mediator between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Central Government, which held a round of talks here in 2000.
Terming it as the initiation of a “purposeful process”, former chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat said: “We have to be optimistic with caution”, while emerging out of the executive and general council meeting at the party headquarters at Rajbagh here today. The meeting was held to get approval of the five member committee to hold talks with the Deputy Prime Minister after the receipt of a formal invitation here on Tuesday.
“We want to make it clear that we will be talking to both India and Pakistan”, Bhat said.
He allayed any accusations regarding APHC’s participation in the dialogue with the Centre. “We will be talking with a purpose and deep sense of responsibility”, Bhat said.
Bhat also asked the gun-wielding youth to “be associated with the process of dialogue”, that required APHC leaders’ visit to Pakistan.
Referring to the threat perception following strong resentment by some militant groups against the APHC decision, Bhat said. “They (militants) are our boys. They occasionally talk in sentiment, but as soon as they get to know the dynamics of change, they would understand the need for a purposeful dialogue.”
The former APHC chairman also referred to the recent statement of the Union Minister of State for Home, Mr I.D. Swami, assuring that the talks would be “unconditional and Kashmir specific”.
He added that it had nothing to do with the preparations for the proposed Parliamentary elections ahead.
