Islamabad, January 21
Signalling the widening divide between moderates and hardliners in Kashmir, a conglomerate of Pakistan-based militant groups has rejected Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's call to give up armed struggle to pave way for a peaceful negotiated settlement of the issue.
Militant leaders have been shocked by the "baseless" and "uncalled" for statement of the Mirwaiz and his colleagues who are "ignorant of the background and realities of Kashmir issue," a spokesman for the United Jihad Council
(UJC) said in a statement issued from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“The statement of Mirwaiz may please some Western circles and Indian leaders, but it cannot change the ground realities,” he said referring to Farooq's comments that it was time to give up armed struggle to pave way for fruitful negotiations to reach a lasting settlement of the Kashmir issue.
The UJC is headed by Hizbul Mujahideen leader Sayed
Salahuddin.
Farooq yesterday called for an end to armed struggle to resolve the Kashmir issue as it has only created “more graveyards” and said the dialogue process should be given a chance.
Taking exception to Farooq's statement, the UJC spokesman was quoted as saying by the Dawn that only a “strongly coordinated state-wide” armed struggle, enjoying the patronage of sincere, robust and representative (political) leadership, could take the freedom movement to its logical end.”
Unlike Farooq's earlier two visits to Pakistan last year, the divisions between the moderates and hardliners came to the fore the day Mirwaiz arrived in Islamabad on January 19 with the groups supporting local Islamic parties organising a demonstration opposing their tour.
Police baton-charged the demonstrators and rounded up some people.
The UJC spokesman also rejected the reported statement of Mirwaiz that UN Security Council
resolutions on Kashmir had become redundant and said “people saying such things appeared to have forgotten the fact that the resolutions made Pakistan a party to the Kashmir dispute.”
The spokesman said the “people of Kashmir had taken up arms against their will after failure of their peaceful political and diplomatic struggle spanning over 42 years.”
“If Mirwaiz and other leaders of his like have become tired, disenchanted or hopeless about the future of freedom struggle due to adverse circumstances, we suggest them to sit back in their homes to lead a life of comfort. But they should not teach the lesson of cowardice and hopelessness,” he said.
The PoK administration headed by ruling Muslim Conference also took a proactive stand in supporting the peace process as well as backing Farooq’s faction against that of hardline faction of Sayed Ali Shah Geelani.
Ahead of Farooq’s visit, the PoK prime minister pointed the finger of suspicion at the militants on the grenade attack on Farooq’s residence in Srinagar and criticised the groups for blaming Indian authorities for the attack.
— PTI
