Will continue to work for Kashmir issue resolution, says Mirwaiz

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 15

A day after the National Investigation Agency issued a fresh summons to Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to appear for questioning in connection with a terror-financing case, the separatist leader made a defiant stand on Friday and vowed to continue the struggle for the political solution of the Kashmir issue.

Mirwaiz, a key separatist in the region, said he and his party’s “principled stand” had been that Kashmir needed to be solved politically and described it as “ironic” that he was being dubbed a “terrorist”.

“I have repeatedly said that our fight is not against any religion or any country, but against the wrong policies of the Indian government, which wants to suppress this movement by force,” he said in a weekly commentary made on the sidelines of his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid in the city here.

Mirwaiz told his supporters at the mosque that he would not be cowed down by the tactics meant to scare him and other separatist leaders.

“Our struggle is not for power or election or electricity…our politics is based on truth and honesty and our politics is the politics of the aspirations of the people,” he said.

The speech by Mirwaiz came a day after the NIA issued a second summons to him, asking him to appear for questioning at the agency’s New Delhi headquarters in connection with a terror-financing case.

“We are not weak that we will shift from our principled stand,” Mirwaiz said. “We only remind India of its commitments and we will keep reminding it…if this is terrorism, then it is ironic,” he said.

He also criticised some sections, including TV news channels, for campaigning that “anyone who seeks solution of Kashmir is a terrorist”.

“We are saying it since 1947 and we repeat it today also that the Kashmir issue should be resolved. Is this terrorism? Is this a declaration of a war against any country?” he asked.

Mirwaiz said he had maintained it on every forum and before everyone, including “(Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and (Pervez) Musharraf”, that the Kashmir issue had “only two solutions”.

“Solve it as per the international commitments or else Indian, Pakistan and leadership of Kashmir should sit and find a political solution,” he said.

The separatist leader said there was “no military solution” to Kashmir and also urged the political parties “not to sacrifice Kashmir for their political purposes”.

Mirwaiz said the Kashmir youth were being “pushed to the wall” and that “oppression” was forcing them to become suicide bombers.

“What sort of atmosphere are you creating? Is this a democracy or fascism or autocracy? You are allowing not anyone to even talk,” the separatist leader said.