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| Moderates across the LOC and mainstream politicians in Kashmir trying to drop veil of mistrust | | | Jammu, April 26
A change in the outlook of once considered hawks and India bashers in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir is discernible with leaders like Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan, a former POK Prime Minister, and Fazal-ul-Rehman,leader of Muthida Majlis -e-Amal of Pakistan,who are in Delhi, pleading for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.
The shift in old stand on Kashmir of Sardar Qayoom Khan is evident when he, during his meeting with the PDP patron Mufti Mohd.Sayeed, in Delhi on Wednesday favoured strengthening of inter-state confidence building measures by opening all the traditional routes so as to enable bigger and better people to people contact.
He went to the extent of saying that the Hurriyat Conference leaders should have attended the roundtable conference convened by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh,in Delhi on Tuesday thereby indicating that the Sardar was in favour of involving all section of political leadership in the ongoing dialogue process. His meeting with the Mufti was a matter of amazement for political observers who had not forgotten Sardar Khan’s outbursts “Jeevay,Jeevay Pakistan.”These observers recall that the same Sardar,who was keen to meet Mufti Mohd.Sayeed, whose party shares power with the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, used to treat successive Kashmir Governments as “puppets” of the Government of India.
Sardar Qayoom Khan used to say that Kashmir is “Pakistan’s sheh Rug”(lifeline) and the same Khan, whose Muslim Conference, rules Pakistan occupied Kashmir did not show interest in meeting Kashmiri separatists. As head of the ruling Muslim Conference in Muzaffarabad even those belonging to the Muslim Conference in Kashmir did not rush to Delhi to meet him.
When asked to comment on it Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, who heads the Muslim Conference and is a member of the Executive Committee of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, said today “I have been unwell for the last over one fortnight.” “I respect the views of Sardar Qayoom Khan and I am not in a position to say anything more, ”he added.
The visit of Fazul-ul-Remhan, to Delhi also indicates division in the Muthida Majlis-e- Amal between the moderates and the hardliners. While Qazi Hussain, who heads Jamait-e-Islami in Pakistan and is a member of Muthida Majlis-e-Amal, is a hardliner and is a votary for Kashmir’s incorporation with Pakistan. Like Syed Ali Shah Geelani he too has been pleading for grant of right of self-determination to people in Kashmir.
Indications are that the ongoing peace process and the confidence building measures, initiated by Delhi and Islamabad, have gradually brought moderates across the LOC closer to the moderates among the separatists and those in the mainstream political organizations on the same platform. This development is viewed with satisfaction and Mufti Mohd. Sayeed is being credited for being instrumental in lifting the veil of mistrust between political leaders of undivided Jammu and Kashmir.(
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