Hurriyat to send peace mission to New Delhi, Islamabad

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, Tuesday said the group will soon send a team to New Delhi and Islamabad to defuse tensions between the two countries so that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved through dialogue.

'We would be sending a peace mission to Delhi and Islamabad so that tensions between the two countries are eased and the dialogue process is restarted in order to resolve the Kashmir problem,' Mirwaiz Umer said at a press conference here.

He, however, did not specify when the Hurriyat would send the team.

The Mirwaiz, who has returned home after attending the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in New York, regretted India's response to the OIC's appointment of an envoy on Kashmir.

'The OIC wants Kashmir to act as a bridge between India and Pakistan and feels strongly that the process of dialogue and negotiations between the two countries must be re-started,' he said.

'The OIC has offered to help both countries for defusing tensions between them and starting the dialogue process,' he added.

He said 56 Islamic countries were represented in the OIC.

'The government of India cannot ignore this reality. I want the Indian government to come out of the denial mode and understand it cannot ignore the international dimension of the Kashmir dispute,' the Mirwaiz said.

The separatist leader said an erroneous impression was being created that economic packages or changes of government in Jammu and Kashmir would help resolve the dispute.

'Our readiness for dialogue should not be taken as a sign of weakness as dialogue process is part of our resistance movement,' he said.

'We support the dialogue initiative but reiterate that Kashmiri people have to be the main party to the negotiated resolution of the Kashmir dispute.'

The Mirwaiz expressed satisfaction over 'the growing awareness in international forums for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute'.

He said the Hurriyat Conference had decided to start a diplomatic offensive for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

'Our centres in Brussels, Washington and the UK are being activated to project the viewpoint of the Kashmiri people in international forums,' he said.

The Mirwaiz suggested that India, Pakistan and China coordinate for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem.

He stressed that the ultimate initiative for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute had to be taken by the people of the state.