Padgaonkar for serious dialogue over Kashmir

Srinagar, (KMW News):   Former Chief Interlocutor on Kashmir, Dileep Padgaonker Thursday advocated a serious dialogue between New Delhi and Separatist leaders for finding a solution to the Kashmir issue. He also castigated J&K government for keeping the aged Hurriyat leader Syed Ali shah Geelani under continued house arrest.
“We have already advocated dialogue with all shades of opinion for resolving Kashmir issue. In our report we had suggested that there should be a serious dialogue with all stakeholders for resolving Kashmir issue”, Padgaonkar said while talking to  over telephone.
Padgaonkar said there are many reports pending with the government and “it is high time to Act on the suggestions already put forth by various panels”.
He said all the stake holders at the National level and those in J&K should be involved in discussing and implementing the interlocutor’s report.
However, Padgaonkar asserted that their report is not being ignored and some of the Confidence Building Measures (CBM) suggested by them were in the process of implementation. “Let us hope that the visit of Prime Minster yields results and peace process comes back on track,” he said.
“The steps taken by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shiref need to be reciprocated so that people of J&K could feel the change on ground”, he added.
One Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani’s continuous house arrest he said, “ If there has to be dialogue with Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali shah Geelani then he has to be set free.“How can we have dialogue with Geelani when he is under continuous house arrest,” he said.
Pertinently in their 176-page report, made public in May last  year, the group of interlocutors had called for a review of all central laws and all Articles of the Constitution of India extended to the state after the 1952 Delhi agreement which also gave special status to the state under Article 370.
The report also favoured resumption of the dialogue process between the Centre and Hurriyat Conference “at the earliest”.
The report also said that no more central laws and Articles of the Constitution of India should be extended to the state by presidential order.