Third party role in K-resolution necessary: Mirwaiz

Srinagar: Terming third party mediation necessary for resolving the Kashmir issue, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Thursday said peace in the troubled region was imperative for resolving the Afghanistan conundrum.

“The West, particularly America and its allies cannot ignore the importance of resolving Kashmir for establishing peace in Afghanistan. It cannot ignore the gross human rights violations being committed in Kashmir while talking of upholding democracy and human rights in the world. Unless the international community or a third party doesn’t get involved, the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved,” Mirwaiz said during his address to an international conference on Kashmir, organized in London by British Think Tank, Royal United Service Institute.

Mirwaiz said the vexed Kashmir problem cannot be solved through an “out of box” solution and Kashmiris would never accept any solution thrust upon them.

“Kashmir is not a regional issue between Srinagar and New Delhi; it involves Muzaffarabad and Islamabad and is an issue of right to self determination of the people,” Mirwaiz was quoted as having said in a statement here to Press Bureau of India by the pro-freedom amalgam.

Mirwaiz said political parties in India lack “maturity regarding this sensitive issue” and along with the people of India need to adopt a more serious approach. “However, it is true that the majority of people in India are not aware of the real situation in Kashmir and there is need to inform them about the same,” he said, adding that his led Hurriyat had visited “three Indian cities recently to clear the misconceptions of ordinary Indians about Kashmir.”

Mirwaiz said his led Hurriyat faction had already proposed some measures to New Delhi as confidence building steps amongst Kashmiris, and India needed to “give up its military approach on Kashmir.”

He said the Kashmiri leadership might be divided on some issues but “everyone agrees on the need of resolving the issue for peace in the region.”

Mirwaiz said Kashmiris had made a transition from a violent to non-violent freedom struggle in 2008 but India was “adamant on crushing the movement through use of brute force and oppression, the latest example being the killings of innocent civilians last year in government forces action.”

“The baton of freedom movement has been passed onto the new generation, who are continuing the struggle peacefully. But India has responded to the peaceful means of Kashmiris by force, and is not allowing any space for peaceful and democratic dissent.  It talks of dialogue and peace before the world but has turned Kashmir, through curfews and restrictions on religious and political activities, into a controlled state,” he said.