Hurriyat says Kashmir issue now complicated further, points at LAC

HURRIYAT CONFERENCE on Thursday called for political engagement and dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue, saying “intransigence and denial” is not helping anyone.

In a statement issued on the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, the separatist conglomerate said the scrapping of special status to J&K and bifurcation of the state into Union Territories has only complicated the dispute and brought China into the picture.

“The present Indian government’s actions of August 5, 2019 has only complicated the dispute further, over the state of J&K. This is illustrated by the fact that it ignited the flames along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) even as some measure of calm has been introduced along the Line of Control,” Hurriyat said, referring to the India-China tension in eastern Ladakh.

“Hurriyat is convinced that the Government of India must accept the need to address the Kashmir dispute, engage with those who truly represent the political will and aspirations of its peoples, and defuse the building geopolitical pressures in the region along its northern and western borders,” the statement said. “Hurriyat urges the Government of India to resume engagement with the Government of Pakistan.”

“Hurriyat has had a long-standing policy of engagement in meaningful dialogue among all the stakeholders that sees the situation on the ground for what it is, and encourages dialogue rather than armed confrontation. The latter benefits no one and harms everyone. Nor is intransigence and denial a helpful stance,” it said.

The separatist amalgam called for release of all political leaders, including its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is under home detention for two years now.

Acknowledging that it cannot match the “muscle of status quo powers”, it said resolution of Kashmir issue is necessary not only for peace in Kashmir but the entire South Asia.