- Hurriyat leader Geelani ready to talk with New Delhi if it accepts Kashmir as dispute, says out-of-box solutions unacceptable, won’t settle on anything less than independence
Hurriyat Conference-G Chairman Syed Ali Geelani has made it clear to Pakistan that Kashmiris will not accept out-of-box solutions to Kashmir issue and settle for nothing less than Azadi (independence).
Geelani, who is presently in Delhi, had a luncheon meeting which lasted nearly three hours with the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
“I categorically told the Pakistan high commissioner to convey to government of Pakistan that Kashmiris, who have rendered unflinching sacrifices for their inalienable right to self-determination, will not settle for out-of-box solutions to Kashmir issue,” Geelani said, adding that he had also told Basit that the four-point formula of former president Gen (r) Pervaiz Musharaf had put Kashmir issue on backburner.
“I told Basit that Kashmiris will only accept Azadi as solution to the dispute. I maintained that Kashmir issue is not a border dispute between India and Pakistan but concerns respect, identity and future of 13 million people. We won’t allow anyone to sell out or compromise on sacrifices of Kashmiris for the just cause,” he said.
“I told Basit that Pakistan must keep Kashmir issue on its top agenda during talks with India and press for inclusion of Kashmiris as prime party to the dispute. He assured that Pakistan will continue to provide moral, diplomatic and political support to the cause of Kashmiris,” he said.
During the meeting, Geelani told the Pakistan high commissioner that he will not hold any dialogue with New Delhi unless it accepts his conditions.
“If India accepts Kashmir as a dispute, undertakes demilitarisation, releases all political prisoners, revokes special powers to armed forces and other black laws, I am ready to hold talks with it. However, the talks must be held within the ambit of right to self-determination guaranteed by United Nations through resolution to which India is a signatory,” he said.
Hurriyat-G spokesperson Ayaz Akbar, who also participated in the meeting, said the Pakistan high commissioner asked Geelani to forge unity with other pro-freedom groups. “Geelani sahib told him that he was ready to forge unity but only with likeminded separatists groups on the basis of principles and a process in this regard has already been started,” Akbar said.