People's Democratic Party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a roundtable conference to find a “durable solution” to the Kashmir problem.
At a public meeting his party organised here on Saturday, he sought the Hurriyat Conference's cooperation in forging a consensus at least on three issues over which both parties shared identical views. These were the release of prisoners, and the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the troops from civilian areas. “The Hurriyat also talks the same language. We can evolve a consensus on three similar points between us and the Hurriyat.”
The Mufti also urged the Prime Minister to take concrete steps for evolving a consensus on the ground. “I also request the Prime Minister to fulfil all these demands, so that a congenial atmosphere is created for talks. Once these demands are met, the Prime Minister should hold a roundtable conference with all stakeholders, separatists and the mainstream parties.”
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The Mufti called for strengthening the confidence-building measures to nudge the peace process. “It was due to our efforts that the government of India agreed to open the channels of communication like the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road. Our government has a clear-cut common minimum programme, which calls for an unconditional dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.”
Criticising the ruling National Conference for being “heavy on the people,” the Mufti said: “Let me make it clear to the present dispensation that it can arrest the people but can't hold their ideologies captive.” “Youth are being arrested on the pretext of stone-throwing… We will not tolerate it. We won't allow the government to make the future of scores of youth bleak.”
At the same time, he said he did not want to topple the Farooq Abdullah government. “At this juncture, I want to pull out the people of Kashmir from the suffocation and siege first.”
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