Hurriyat Conference to discuss Pakistan visit in joint session
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference, headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq will discuss its leaders' visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir at a joint session of the amalgam's executive and general councils, and working committee on tomorrow, Wednesday.

The meeting will also deliberate on future course of action towards resolution of Kashmir issue, Chairman of Hurriyat faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was quoted as saying.

Although there has been no formal invitation from New Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mirwaiz said the joint session would discuss the issue.

"We will have to discuss when, where and how to carry forward the dialogue process with India and Pakistan", he added.

On the statement of Indian Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal that Hurriyat would not be included in the Indo-Pak dialogue process, Mirwaiz said "we are not demanding a seat on the Indo-Pak dialogue table yet", a news report says.

"Our idea is to hold triangular talks with New Delhi and Islamabad whereby Hurriyat holds talks with the two countries separately while they do it on their own", he added.

'No deal in power sector without Kashmir solution’

Pakistan has ruled out the possibility of cooperation with India in the power sector in divided Kashmir till the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

“The two countries first need to resolve the Kashmir issue and water disputes before even considering such collaboration,” Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said when asked to comment on recent calls for such cooperation from the Indian side.

He also underlined that the sanctity of the bilateral water sharing Indus Waters Treaty had to be maintained in this context.

Although there has been no formal proposal from the Indian government, hints about exploring possibilities of joint ventures in the power sector have been dropped through the media.

A recent report suggested that the Indian prime minister’s office had asked experts to look into this possibility.

Last month, New Delhi-installed Indian-held Kashmir’s Chief Minister Mufti Sayyed said that India and Pakistan should jointly undertake hydro-power projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

The calls for cooperation in the power sector come at a time when Pakistan and India have serious differences over three water projects in Occupied Kashmir. These include the under-construction Baglihar dam, and proposed Kishanganga dam and Wullar Barrage.●