Srinagar, May 20
Declining to accept the Centre’s invitation to attend the second round table conference here next week, hardline APHC leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani here today held that the meet was a “futile exercise” aimed at maintaining status quo over Kashmir issue.

Addressing a press conference, Geelani also called for general strike on May 24 and 25 in protest against the two-day conference being presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He displayed a copy of the letter from the Central Government, formally inviting him to attend the two-day conference, that had been handed over to him by a police officer at his residence earlier in the morning.

The moderate faction of the APHC, which also did not attend the first round table conference held in New Delhi, is meeting here on Monday to discuss the issue of its participation in the conference scheduled for May 24 and 25.

The APHC led by Mirwaiz had held two rounds of talks with the UPA government since last year. The last meeting, considered to be significant in view of the second round table, was held between the Prime Minister and the Mirwaiz-led APHC on May 3 last.

Though the Mirwaiz-led APHC had indicated that it would not be “part of the crowd” by attending the second round table, it is yet to come out with its final decision, which is being discussed here on Monday, only two days prior to the round table conference.

Mirwaiz here on Thursday sought the involvement of people from both sides of the divide (including PoK) in the dialogue process.

Geelani reiterated his policy, maintaining that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was possible only by the implementation of the UN resolution, giving right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and tripartite talks.

He said issues like self-rule and LoC would not be discussed in the tripartite talk, but that would focus only on an amicable and lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.

Geelani urged India to accept Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory on the basis of its historical background following the partition of the sub-continent. “We cannot deviate from its (Kashmir issue) historical background… we will not allow it,” he commented.

The APHC leader blamed India for not adopting a sincere approach towards the long pending issue adding that at least 130 meetings and conferences had been held to resolve the issue since the issue came into being in 1947.

“These are all futile exercises because India does not accept it as a disputed territory,” Geelani said adding that the Centre did not deviate from its oft repeated stand of “not redrawing borders” and restoring peace in the state.

He questioned as to how could peace be possible unless the basic issue was addressed. Claiming that measures like these were all aimed at “maintaining status quo on Jammu and Kashmir”, the APHC chairman said the starting of bus service and now trade via Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road were only part of this process.

Jammu, May 20
Mr Bhim Singh, Chairman of the Panthers Party, today said the round-table conference of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had become “Hurriyat-centric” as the Jammu region had been completely ignored.

Mr Bhim Singh, who was talking to mediapersons here after holding a mini-conclave of various parties and organisations, urged the Centre to involve refugees from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the talks as they were the “first and the natural party” to the Kashmir issue.

He said the second round-table conference, that was being held in Srinagar on May 24, had become Hurriyat-centric as the Centre was giving more importance to the separatists.

He said nearly 12 lakh PoK refugees could snot be ignored in the talks.

Mr Bhim Singh claimed that a consensus was reached in the conclave that the Jammu region had been ignored and only some handpicked persons had been invited to the conference completely ignoring the Gujjars, Bakarwals, PoK refugees, the Dogra Sadar Sabha and prominent recognised political parties.