Visit successful, satisfied with outcome: Mirwaiz

New Delhi: Terming the Pakistan visit as ‘successful’, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq Thursday said that the leadership was satisfied with the outcome of the 10 day visit as it brought a new dimension to the efforts seeking resolution to the ‘Kashmir dispute’.
“We understand that solution won’t come overnight or with just one or two visits, but this visit has paved way for a comprehensive process to reach to the final settlement”, Mirwaiz told after landing at New Delhi along with other members of the Hurriyat delegation. The seven member delegation returned from Pakistan on Wednesday after 10 days and will be reaching Srinagar on Friday.
Underscoring the need to include Kashmiris in the dialogue process, Mirwaiz said that bilateral negotiations between India and Pakistan won’t yield any results as Kashmirs were the basic and important party of the dispute. “Kashmiris are important to the dispute and you can’t sideline them”, asserted Mirwaiz. He refused to accept that the visit was ‘futile’ saying, the visit should be seen as the beginning of a solution. He however expressed Ignorance over the reports suggesting that Prime Minster of India was intending to invite them in coming days. “I don’t have any knowledge about it, but at the same time we are not averse to dialogue”, said Mirwaiz. However he was quick to add that his faction of Hurriyat Conference has already given a 5 point proposal to the centre to set stage for the dialogue. The proposal includes the revocation of AFSPA, releasing of political prisoners etc. However Mirwaiz expressed his displeasure about what he said reluctance of GOI in addressing the demands. “They have been reluctant to address the demands which I think could have set the stage for dialogue to take off”, stressed Mirwaiz.
The Hurriyat Chairman insisted that for initiating a serious process, the union government has to bring a visible change on the ground which should be noticeable to Kashmiris.
“You can’t expect dialogue to flourish unless there is a change on ground. Dialogue shouldn’t be for the sake of dialogue, you have to be serious in the engagement and give Kashmiris a confidence that something concrete will come out of it”, said Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, adding that a visible change in the ground situation was inevitable to move forward on the issue.
Meanwhile Hurriyat (M) Chairman has called a meeting of general and executive councils of the conglomerate on Saturday to brief them about the Pakistan visit. During the 10 day visit which started on 15th of December, Hurriyat delegation met a cross section of people in Pakistan, including the Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Premier Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Foreigen Minster Hina Rabbani Khar, Former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Shareef, his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Mohamamd Shabaz Shareef, PTI Chief Imran Khan, MQM, Jamat e Islami and Jame te Alhi Hadees leaders. They also interacted with different people, political representatives, civil society and NGOs.
The delegation also visited Muzafarabad where they met PaK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Premier Choudary Majeed and his colleagues in the cabinet.