M A I N   N E W S

Abolish LoC, says Mirwaiz

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Chairman, All-Party Hurriyat Conference, addresses Kashmiri Muslims before offering Eid prayers at Jama Masjid in Srinagar on Wednesday. — Photo by Amin War

Srinagar, January 11
Back from a tour of Pakistan, the moderate faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference today demanded the abolition of the Line of Control between the divided Kashmir and warned that the dialogue process to solve the Kashmir issue would derail if its pace was not accelerated.

“We feel there is no need for the Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan and free movement of people of Jammu and Kashmir across the border should be ensured”, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said addressing an Eid congregation at Jama Masjid here.

“The step could be a biggest confidence-building measure”, he said.

The Mirwaiz said barring the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, no positive step had been taken by the Centre for building confidence of the people.

“The opening of the road is welcome but we want trucks should ply on the road for trade between the two parts of Kashmir without any restrictions,” he said.

Mr Mirwaiz, who returned here recently after a week-long trip to Pakistan and talks with President Pervez Musharraf, said India needed to open up for debate and deliberate on new ideas for the resolution of the issue, including the demilitarisation and self-rule as proposed by Pervez Musharraf.

Flaying India for rejecting Pervez Musharraf’s proposals, he said New Delhi should discuss and deliberate with Islamabad these ideas.

“Reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir will create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue and build confidence”, he said.

Expressing dismay over the pace of dialogue between India and Pakistan and the Centre and his faction of the Hurriyat, the Mirwaiz said it needed to be accelerated.

“For the past three years, the peace process is going on but the progress as well as the process is very slow. We know we have to proceed step by step but it needs to be speeded up,” he said.

He said Pakistan was “very serious” to resolve the Kashmir issue and India had to show flexibility in its stand on Kashmir and initiate confidence-building measures for the resolution of the issue.

“If the process continues as it is at present then it may derail,” he said. — PTI