Jammu, January 21
Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s call for ending the 17-year-long armed struggle in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to ease tensions in the valley despite the fact that the hardliners have not relished his statement from the Pakistani soil.

Observers point out that the peace process initiated by India might gain further momentum with the virtual change of mind of the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference that has been spearheading the movement in Kashmir.

The statement of Mirwaiz has triggered activity in the camps of various separatist organisations that were holding emergency meetings in the valley today to discuss the new situation.

Experts point out that the virtual “U-turn” of the Hurriyat leadership also indicates that Pakistan, which has got itself engaged in military operations in its frontier areas and build up on the Afghanistan borders, at the moment is not in a position to expose itself on the Kashmir front.

Mr Usman Majeed, a MLA, who was earlier vice-chairman of the Pakistan-based United Jehad Council, which is considered to be the umbrella organisation of all terrorist outfits, told this correspondent today that Pakistan had already burnt its fingers by backing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Having got exposed in the international arena, General Musharraf was now trying to draw back from here.

He said with India and Pakistan stressing that the boundaries could not be altered, a compromise was on the cards.

However, hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who appears to have been isolated even by Pakistan now, told this correspondent over telephone that the change in the stand of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had not surprised him.

Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, a senior National Conference (NC) MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said the NC had been saying right from the beginning that the Kashmir issue could be solved through dialogue and not by violent means. The political affairs committee (PAC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said India and Pakistan should carry the ongoing peace process to its logical conclusion by resolving all contentious issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir problem.

The meeting of the PAC, which was chaired by patron of the party Mufti Sayeed, while expressing satisfaction over the resumption of the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan, called for the implementation of concrete Jammu and Kashmir-specific confidence-building measures to ensure the participation of the sufferers in the peace process.

While reiterating the party’s demand for creating the cross-LoC institutional mechanism for cooperation in areas like trade, tourism, culture, environment, education and disaster management has called for active involvement of legislators from both sides of the dividing line for consolidating the Jammu and Kashmir-specific confidence-building measures.

Jammu, January 21
The Jammu and Kashmir Governments’ scheme to bring employees under health insurance cover has run into rough weather following heavy losses the company suffered due to a spate of claims from the employees.

Due to this the company has refused to renew the policies before settling the premium amount. The company authorities conveyed to the government the scheme would be continued provided all the 3.50 lakh employees were brought under its ambit and annual premium amount was raised. However, the employees’ unions threatened to pull out of the scheme if the premium amount was raised from the existing between Rs 1000 and Rs 1400 per employee. The government used to contribute 50 per cent of the premium.

The company authorities informed the government it had received claims from the employees to the tune of Rs 25 crore against the receipt of about Rs six crore as premium money. Out of 3.50 lakh employees only 48,000 have been covered under the scheme. Official reports said the company was yet to settle the claim of a section of employees to the extent of Rs 10 crore. These claims were pending as the company was trying to assess the veracity of these claims.

The company has demanded health insurance be made compulsory so that all the 3.50 lakh employees were covered under the scheme. The negotiations are on and indications are that government may invite fresh tenders from insurance companies. So far the Government has not succeeded in making the employees agree on increasing the premium amount. If any other company bids on a lesser premium amount than demanded by the company that was given the tender last year the agreement with the old company will be scrapped.

The government has favoured that besides bringing all employees under the scheme the premium amount be raised to Rs 2400 out of which the government would contribute 50 per cent.

Srinagar, January 21
The Pakistan based United Jehad Council (UJC), an outfit of militant organisations has rejected Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Faooq’s call for an end to armed struggle in Jammu and Kashmir. The Mirwaiz, heading a three-member APHC delegation to Pakistan, as part of the ongoing Indo-Pakistan dialogue process, had during his meeting with various leaders in Pakistan sought militants’ support for peace in the region.

Spokesman of the UJC Syed Sadaqat Hussain, in Muzaffarabad has stated such statements of the Hurriyat Conference leaders would not change the ground realities. He added such statements of Mirwaiz could “appease some Western circles and Indian leaders”, and these were away from ground realities. He claimed the Jehadi leadership was upset over the stand of the “elements who seem to be unaware of the historicity of Kashmir issue”.

People of Kashmir, according to the spokesman, resorted to armed struggle after “political, constitutional and diplomatic” struggle for over four decades failed to yield any results. He added one lakh people lost their lives during the past 17 years saying “these sacrifices were not made for any sort of self-rule, internal autonomy or making the ceasefire line irrelevant”. These “sacrifices” had been made for the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he added. The spokesman also referred to the general strike call of the hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani on January 17 against the Hurriyat-India-Pak talks. The strike “indicated that people of Kashmir are not ready to surrender”, he added.

If Mirwaiz and other leaders of his ilk have become tired, disenchanted or hopeless about the future of freedom struggle due to adverse circumstances, we suggest them to sit back in their homes to lead a life of comfort. But they should not teach the lesson of cowardice and hopelessness to the caravan of freedom seekers”, the spokesman said. “Still there is time for political leaders to rise above personal and organisational egos and interests and launch joint struggle for the right of self determination and freedom. Otherwise there will be no space for them in the chapters of history”, the spokesman as quoted here said.

Mirwaiz-led moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference views response from the Pak leadership during its current visit to that country as positive and encouraging. Pak leadership had appreciated the stand taken by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that a meaningful dialogue between India, Pakistan and the Hurriyat Leadership could only lead to the resolution of Kashmir issue, an APHC spokesman said here.