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Srinagar: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has reiterated his support for substantive dialogue as a means to resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz issued a statement in Srinagar advocating for engagement and dialogue that respects the political aspirations and sentiments of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. His statement comes in response to remarks made by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at election rallies in Banihal and Ramban in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Mirwaiz, who was recently placed under house arrest again last week, emphasized the importance of setting the record straight in light of Singh’s comments. He recounted a 2016 incident when, while detained at Cheshmashahi sub-jail, he was approached by Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, then president of the PDP. She requested him to meet with a visiting delegation of opposition MPs to discuss the dire situation in Kashmir. AIMIM head Mr. Asadudin Owaisi, representing the delegation, met with Mirwaiz, who expressed the need for the Indian authorities to halt killings and allow Hurriyat leaders to convene and strategize collectively before engaging in talks that could lead to meaningful change.
Mirwaiz stressed that past interactions with Indian officials, including Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, were attempts at crisis management that failed to yield lasting engagement or solutions. He called for a more genuine and sustained dialogue process to address the complex issues facing Kashmir.
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