Karachi, June 11
The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) says the time has come for the Kashmiri leadership to take the centrestage and have a free hand in seeking a solution of the Kashmir issue as the people of the territory are the principal stakeholders and cannot wait for India and Pakistan to take their own decisions.

The Hurriyat’s viewpoint was forcefully presented in Karachi on Friday by its Chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq at a symposium, attended by all the Kashmiri leaders currently on a historic visit to Pakistan.

The ‘Symposium on Kashmir: Looking Towards the Future’ was organised by the publishers of the Dawn Group of newspapers in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan Peace Coalition and the Islamabad Council for World Affairs. A second symposium on the theme will be held in Islamabad on Sunday.

“We desire to be citizens of the United States of Kashmir and we desire India and Pakistan to give a free hand to the Kashmiri leadership to come up with new proposals,” said the Mirwaiz, adding that the APHC had decided to take the initiative.

“I don’t want to take the bus 20 years down the line, I want to fly to New Delhi, Islamabad or Tashkent,” he said clearly hinting at the future status of Kashmir.

“We want to move beyond the traditional line,” he said, adding that “conversion of the LoC into a permanent border or the status quo was not acceptable. Apart from these two, we are ready to explore other options. Decisions should not be imposed from New Delhi or Islamabad.”

He was of the view that since India was not ready for tripartite negotiations, a way out could be triangular talks — between Kashmiris and Pakistan, between Kashmiris and India and between Pakistan and India

Mr Yasin Malik said people who had started the revolution declared in 1994 a unilateral ceasefire. But nobody understood the significance of the peace overture. Many Kashmiris were killed in the process.

Mr Malik said it was not for New Delhi or Islamabad to represent the people of Kashmir or to decide who was their leader and stressed that the Kashmiris should be included in the dialogue process as equal partners. He expressed readiness to demonstrate flexibility. He underlined the importance of media’s role in pushing the peace process forward and securing for the Kashmiri people their just rights.

Mr Abdul Ghani Bhatt dilated on the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people over the years and stressed that resolution of the Kashmir issue was essential for durable peace.

Islamabad, June 11
Leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, currently on a goodwill mission to Pakistan, will leave for Srinagar in the Karvan-e-Aman bus from Muzaffarabad on June 16, media reports today said.

The Hurriyat leaders — Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Moulvi Abbas Ansari and Fazul Haq Qureshi along with JKLF chief Yassin Malik- will hold yet another round of talks with the PoK leader, Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, and others before boarding the Srinagar- bound bus.

So far, none of the seperatist leaders has sought permission for extension of their stay in Pakistan.

The Hurriyat leaders reached Muzaffarabad on June 2 where they addressed members of the PoK Assembly. Later, they travelled to Islamabad for talks with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. — UNI

Colombo, June 11
India today said it was willing to play a “positive” and “supportive” role in efforts by Sri Lanka to bring about political settlement to the ethnic problem but made it clear that a resolution had to emerge from the political parties and the people of the island nation.

This was announced by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh at meetings he had with leaders during his three-day stay here, Indian officials said.

The Sri Lankan leaders shared the view that there should be no relapse into violence, they said.

He called on President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and held wide-ranging discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart Lakshman Kadirgamar on stepping up bilateral cooperation.

Mr K. Natwar Singh today had a breakfast meeting with Leader of Opposition and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and held separate interactions with JVP leaders Somawansa Amarasinghe amd Tilvin Silva besides representative of the Muslim community Feril Shraff, TULF chief Anandsangaree and TNA leader Sambanthan.

New Delhi has maintained that it firmly supported efforts made by the Sri Lankan government to consolidate the processes of peace and promote development in this country.

The leaders of Marxist JVP or People’s Liberation Front, a key ruling coalition partner in Sri Lanka, conveyed to the Indian minister their displeasure over moves by Ms Kumaratunga to strike a tsunami aid-sharing deal with the LTTE. — PTI

Washington, June 11
Sixty members of the US Congress, including Ilena Ros-Lehtinen and Gary Ackerman, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, have urged Speaker Dennis J. Hastert to hold a joint session for an address by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his coming visit next month.

“An official invitation to address a joint session of Congress (by Mr Manmohan Singh) would send an unequivocal message to the Government and people of India that the United States stands in full support of their commitment to democracy, peace, and prosperity for all,” a letter written to Hastert by the members said.

They said a joint session of Congress would “allow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to share his thoughts directly on India’s role as a regional power, its economic development, its progress towards religious tolerance, and the benefits of increased economic, security, and cultural cooperation between India and the United States. — PTI

London, June 11
As many as 22 Non-Resident Indians, including leading industrialist Rami Ranger and academician Pritpal Singh, figure in Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday honours list today.

While Mr Pritpal Singh, head teacher, Drayton Manor High School, Ealing, is Knighted for services to education, Mr Ranger, Chief Executive of Sun Oil Ltd, has been made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to business and the British Asian community.

Mr Ranger, who had earlier received the Queens Award for Export Achievement some years ago for exporting British products to over 40 countries, has been working hard within the Conservative Party and encouraging the party to become more approachable and “Asian-friendly.”

Others who figure in the Honours’ List are: Mr Vikram Lall, Chair, Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board, for services to business in Scotland (CBE), Ms Angela

Mukhopadhyay, Inspector, Office for Standards in Education, for services to education; Dr Harkirtan Singh-Raud, senior lecturer in science education, Liverpool John Moore’s University, for services to education and to diversity; Dr Gurudeo Singh Saluja, Chair, Grampian Joint Police Board, for services to community relations in Scotland (all OBEs). — PTI