Mirwaiz for Kashmir region’s demlitarization
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

NEW DELHI (India): Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq Friday pleaded for demilitarization of the Kashmir region which, he observed would go a longway in the quest of resolution to the vexed dispute.

Addressing a press conference here at Foreign Correspondents Club, senior Kashmiri leader regretted that there was hardly any respite for the common man in Indian Occupied Kashmir notwithstanding peace process and certain Confidence Building Measures announced in this regard.

Hurriyat Chairman said that there was enough space for further measures and confidence building measures to strengthen the peace process and move forward for the resolution of Kashmir problem in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The onus of taking the process forward now lied on New Delhi as Pakistan President General President Pervez Musharraf already demonstrated enough flexibility by saying "whatever acceptable to the people of Kashmir was acceptable to Pakistan" besides not stressing on UN resolution for the resolution of Kashmir issue.

Further elaborating the proposal of demilitarizing the Kashmir region, he said there could be gradual withdrawal of forces along the Line of Control in a phased manner. However, basic requirement was trust and determination to move forward towards the lasting solution of Kashmir problem, added the Hurriyat Chief.

In response to a question, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said that the situation viz a viz human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir was still " as bad as it was", with slight improvement.

"We are waiting for further announcement of steps from New Delhi", he expressed adding, a lot more was needed to be done particularly in this situation of natural calamity and mere opening of five points at LoC was not enough to console the people of Kashmir suffering since long.

Referring to the state of human rights violation, he said two young Kashmiris were recently killed in Northern belt of Held Kashmir by the Indian Security forces.

Petitions against such incidents are filed, however most of them go unheeded, causing further frustration and distress among the people of Kashmir, he observed.

To a query about forging unity among the ranks of different Kashmiri leaders, Mirwaiz said, " we have started intensifying fresh efforts and widened the spectrum of dialogue" in this regard.

Hurriyat Chief expressed the confidence that if support lent by India and Pakistan to intra-Kashmir dialogue continue "we can go a long way" in the quest of lasting solution to Kashmir problem.

When asked about change in the mindset of main stream political parties of Indian Occupied Kashmir, Mirwaiz said that it was heartening to note that they were also sharing the views which the Hurriyat had been uttering since long for the viable solution of Kashmir issue.●