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APHC begins meet to discuss Pant's offer of talks

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

At its crucial executive meet on Tuesday, Kashmir's main separatist political group, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, started deliberating on whether it should accept the dialogue offer made by K C Pant, the central interlocutor on Kashmir.

Pre-meeting indications are that the hawks within the group will put down their foot to spurn the Centre's offer.

"We are meeting to discuss the offer of talks," Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, chairman of the APHC, told this correspondent in Srinagar.

The meeting is being attended by all executive members of the APHC, and is being held at its headquarters in Raj Bagh.

Representatives of JKLF chairman Yasim Malik and Peoples League chairman Shiekh Aziz are also attending the meeting. Malik is currently in USA.

Prof Bhat said the crucial meeting will be attended by all executive members of the conglomerate, including the firebrand Syed Ali Shah Geelani of the pro-Pak Jamaat-I-Islami.

"The agenda will be the recent developments including the nomination by New Delhi of the deputy chairman of Planning Commission, K C Pant, for holding unconditional talks with various groups in the state," Prof Bhat said.

"We will discuss the offer and respond in the form of a collective, unanimous decision."

He said a majority of the separatist groups had rejected the talks offer but added, "It is the APHC executive that will take a final decision."

Prof Bhat said New Delhi is only talking about restoration of peace in Kashmir. "Let me tell them peace cannot return in a vacuum. Kashmir is a disputed territory. While talking of peace, therefore, we will have to address the dispute which constitutes a threat to peace."

"The moment the Kashmir issue is resolved, peace will automatically return not only in Kashmir but in the whole sub-continent," he said. "And it will be resolved only when all the three parties, India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir are involved in the negotiations."

He described the initial round of talks between the government negotiator K C Pant and former chief minister Syed Mir Qasim as "a formality of no consequence."

EARLIER REPORT:

APHC executive committee to discuss Centre's offer

The Kashmir Cease-Fire: The Complete Coverage

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