New Delhi, January 22
The Centre and the All-Party Hurriyat Conference today made a “very good beginning” to their first-ever talks to resolve the outstanding issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir by agreeing to a “step-by-step” approach and emphasising that the only way forward was to ensure that all forms of violence at all levels comes to an end .
The APHC delegation led by its chairman Moulvi Abbas Ansari, which met Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani for nearly two-and-half hours, will pay a “courtesy call” on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee tomorrow evening. In the six-paragraph statement released after the talks, the two sides described the meeting as the first significant step in the dialogue process
initiated by the Centre and agreed that the next round of talks will be held in Delhi in March.
Committing itself to the enlargement of the dialogue process to cover all regions of Jammu and Kashmir and the concerns of all communities, the APHC delegation stressed that an honourable and durable solution to outstanding issues should be found through dialogue.
“It was agreed that the only way forward is to ensure that all forms of violence at all levels should come to an end. The Deputy Prime Minister endorsed the APHC’s view that the role of the gun should be replaced by the sound of politics,” the statement said.
Mr Advani said the Centre’s foremost concern was to safegaurd the security of all people and ensure against the violation of their rights. He also agreed that a rapid review would be undertaken to examine the cases of
those held in detention. The two sides described the discussions as “amicable, free, frank and fruitful.’’
Mr Advani later told mediapersons that the Centre had followed up on Mr Vajpayee’s Srinagar speech in April last year in which he had extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan. “That has been followed up, culminating in a joint statement in Islamabad. The climate created has contributed to new atmosphere in which there is a determination all around to see that violence comes to an end and the state moves forward in so far as development is concerned,” he said.
Mr Advani told the Hurriyat leaders that an organisation which seeks to represent the people of Jammu and Kashmir “should represent each and every section of the state. Those who are in Jammu and Kashmir should not forget the Kashmiri Pandits who were in the state and are now living in a pathetic condition in the camps.”
Mr Advani said in August, 2002, the Prime Minister had stated the government’s resolve to see that the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were free and fair.
“We would have been happy had the APHC taken part in the polls... Some did participate but not in Hurriyat’s name,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said “despite threats our success in holding Assembly elections to the satisfaction of not only the participants but the whole world had strengthened democracy.’’
“A mention was made even in discussions today that faith of people of the state on the Centre should be strengthened and promises made should be fulfilled,” he said.
On the issue of rapid review of cases of those held in detention, mentioned in the joint statement, Mr Advani said that cases of those who were involved in henious cases could not be considered.
Mr Advani said he suggested to the Hurriyat leaders that a synopsis should be prepared about the meeting to which the Hurriyat leaders agreed.
After the Hurriyat leaders expressed their desire to pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Mr Advani telephoned him in Pune to seek his approval for the meeting.
Besides Moulvi Abbas Ansari, the Hurriat delegation included former APHC chiefs Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Abdul Ghani Bhatt, Fazal Haq Qureshi and Bilal Gani Lone. Mr Advani was assisted in the talks by the Interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir N N Vohra and Home Secretary N Gopalaswami.
Mr Advani did not answer questions about the Hurriyat leaders raising the demand to go to Pakistan for talks.
However, Hurriyat sources said that the issue was raised but it was
emphasised that matters should be taken up one-by-one.
