Geelani’s 5-points accepted: Omar

‘Interlocutors Have Declared Kashmir A Dispute’

Srinagar, Nov 11: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that New Delhi had already accepted the 5-points put forward by the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

“Three interlocutors appointed by New Delhi have already declared Kashmir as a dispute and they have acknowledged that Pakistan has a role.  New Delhi has not denied any of these statements. Remaining four points of the formula fall within the domain of the state government and we are working on it,” Omar told a local news agency KNS.

“Does Geelani sahib want Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare Kashmir as a dispute in Parliament?” Omar questioned. Omar reiterated that Kashmir was a dispute and needed to be resolved, and Pakistan had an important role to play for the final resolution of the issue. “If Pakistan had no role, late Jawaharlal Nehru would not have sent my grandfather Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah to Pakistan for holding talks with General Ayub Khan,” he said.

Omar said from Tashkent to Shimla and from Shimla to Lahore and Agra, summits have been held and declarations signed to find a durable solution to the Kashmir issue. “It is an international issue and has to be resolved,” he added.

Pertinently, Geelani in September this year had put five conditions for restoration of normalcy in the Valley. The conditions included: India should accept Kashmir an international dispute, begin demilitarisation in the state under the supervision of a credible world agency, repeal all harsh laws, including Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act, release all political prisoners and punish the forces’ personnel involved in the killings which took place across the Valley since June. He also wanted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to publicly commit and ensure no further killings do take place.

The Chief Minister said that recent visit of the United States President Barack Obama had paved the way for the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue. “The back-channel talks between both these nations will resume soon and my government will be a part of these. These talks will be aimed at finding a permanent solution to the K-issue,’ he added.

Referring to frequent protest calendars issued by the Hurriyat Conference (G), Omar said, “They (separatists) put too much of burden on the people by enforcing shutdown for 5-months. People themselves defied the calls and resumed their daily chores.”

He said that people by defying the recent 3-day civil curfew call demonstrated to the separatists that “enough is enough.”

Omar described Machil fake encounter as the main reason for the latest unrest. “The fact is that police exposed the Machil incident. My government did not hide the truth and made everything public, but Machil incident proved to be a triggering point and it flared up protests across the Valley. I as head of the state cannot ignore this fact,” he said.

The Chief Minister revealed that for the past few months some bureaucrats and politicians have been “dreaming” that his government would fall today or tomorrow. “They (some bureaucrats and officers) had stopped all the work and kept the files pending. They along with my political rivals left no stone unturned to ensure that my government falls. I have been monitoring their activities and have kept a close vigil on them,” he added.

To a question about the mandate of the interlocutors, Omar said, “I believe that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will accept the recommendations of the interlocutors.”

Referring to his recent speech in the Legislative Assembly about Kashmir having only acceded to India and not merged, Omar said, “My speech in the legislature is a history. It reflects my way of thinking and New Delhi had no role to play in it.”

Omar said that his political rivals opposed his speech to derive political mileage. “Whatever I said is correct in historic perspective. I didn’t say anything more than Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. He has also said in the Parliament that Kashmir is a unique problem and needs a unique solution,” he added.

“I am the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and not New Delhi.  Neither do I take dictations from New Delhi nor do I need anyone’s certificate,” he added.

Asked, why the political prisoners were not being released, he said, “We don’t want to keep anyone behind the bars, but it is my duty to see to it that peace prevails. We have to take some harsh decisions for the sake of peace,” he added.

However, he was quick to add that cases of political detainees were being reviewed and some of them would be released soon.

The Chief Minister said that his government would complete its full term and there was no threat to it. “I urge the people to cooperate with my government for development to take place.  They have given me a chance to serve them for 6-years and I am trying my level best to live up to their expectations. Due to disturbances not much work has been done during past 2-years.  I hope coming years pass off peacefully so that my government is able to deliver,” Omar added.