Separatist leaders call Ramadha ceasefire a cosmetic measure

SRINAGAR, MAY 17 (KMW): Separatist leaders including Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik on Thursday called the ceasefire announced by New Delhi during Ramadhan in Kashmir as a “cosmetic measure”.
On Wednesday, Home Ministry asked the forces not to launch anti-militancy operations in the state in view of holy month of Ramadhan.
Addressing a seminar, titled ‘Responsibility of Leadership in Safeguarding the Sanctity of Martyrdom’ organized by the Hurriyat(M) at its Rajbagh headquarters, they called for the resolution of Kashmir issue.
“Until and until a comprehensive plan is made to resolve the Kashmir issue, these cosmetic things won’t work,” said Malik, while reacting to the ceasefire. “This is a cosmetic measure. Will it make any difference on the ground,” he asked.
Mirwaiz said it doesn’t make any difference whether ceasefire is called for a month or two. “We need to find the root cause of the conflict and the reason why youth is picking up arms. We need to address the dispute,” he said.
Earlier, he said that calling strikes is their compulsion and that the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) was working to find an alternative strategy.
Addressing a seminar, ‘Responsibility of Leadership in Safeguarding the Sanctity of Martyrdom’ organized by the Hurriyat(M) at its Rajbagh headquarters, he said that hartals can’t achieve goals.
“It is our compulsion, but the Joint Resistance Leadership is working to find an alternative strategy (to register protest),” he said.
He also called for all sections of the society to remain united to resist “all-out operations of New Delhi”. He claimed that Delhi has decided to force the people of Kashmir to surrender.