Former IB Director Sharma to hold sustained dialogue with people of J-K: Rajnath

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23

Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Dineshwar Sharma will hold sustained dialogue with people of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Monday.

Sharma, who will be hold a rank equivalent to Cabinet Secretary, will interact with all, including youth, and share his report with the Central and state government, Rajnath said.

He will talk to all stakeholders but the minister did not specify whether he will have talk to the Hurriyat.

Sharma will engage with every section of J&K and will have all the powers to set the agenda for the talks, Rajnath said.

Read: ‘Realists’ in govt prevail over ‘hawks’: Congress on Kashmir move

Sharma will have an open ended time frame to hold dialogue with people in the state.

Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017

Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017

This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi ‘s 15th August speech ‘na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se’.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017

When asked had it not been better if dialogue could have been better at political level, the home minister said Sharma is competent to do the job.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the Centre’s announcement of initiating a sustained dialogue to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, saying it is the only way forward.

 “Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir (sic),” Mehbooba said in a series of tweets.

She said dialogue is the need of the hour and the only way forward.

“This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi’s 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se (sic),” she said referring to the prime minister’s remarks on Kashmir in his Independence Day speech.