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Musharraf broke from the past to reach out to India: Hurriyat
Parvez Musharraf broke from the past to reach out to Government India with an open mind to resolve the Kashmir issue, while putting the spotlight on the aspirations and sentiments of the people of J&K as important stakeholders of the conflict, said the Hurriyat.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Monday condoled the demise of former Pakistan president and ex-army chief General Parvez Musharraf, saying the latter approached the Kashmir issue with an open mind and put spotlight on aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Hurriyat expressed condolences to the family of Musharraf after his demise on Sunday in Dubai following a prolonged illness at the age of 79.
“Parvez Musharraf broke from the past to reach out to Government India with an open mind to resolve the Kashmir issue, while putting the spotlight on the aspirations and sentiments of the people of J&K as important stakeholders of the conflict,” the conglomerate said in a statement.
It said that Musharraf’s initiative was reciprocated in kind by late Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who the Hurriyat said, was a wise and humane leader.
“And for the first time, Kashmiri leadership on both sides of the line of divide got an opportunity to talk and listen to each other and put their perspective and aspirations before both the governments of India and Pakistan in the ensuing talks,” the Hurriyat, led by Mirwaiz, said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, considered a moderate separatist leader, has been under house detention since August 5, 2019 when the special status of J&K was revoked and the region bifurcated into two union territories.
Mirwaiz had led a group of separatists to hold talks with Indian government over Kashmir in New Delhi in 2004 and met then PM Vajpayee. In 2005, the conglomerate met Parvez Musharraf in Pakistan. The separatist amalgam said it was extremely sad especially for the people of J&K that the process got derailed over time and the opportunity lost.
On Sunday, the People’s Democratic Party said Musharraf was the only president or general of Pakistan who tried for a solution of Kashmir issue with India acceptable to all the three parties, including people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Musharraf only Pak leader who engaged with mainstream Kashmir leaders: Omar National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said Musharraf was the only Pakistan leader willing to meet mainstream leaders of J&K.
“Parvez Musharraf died, largely unlamented even in his own country. For all his faults & his troubling legacy, I will always remember him as the only Pakistani leader willing to meet & engage with mainstream Kashmiri leaders from India, much to the horror of Hurriyat leaders,” Omar said in a tweet on Sunday evening.
“His solution for the ‘Kashmir issue’ put the interests of people of J&K at the forefront while being realistic that the framework must ensure that neither India nor Pakistan ‘lost face’. It didn’t happen & we are where we are today. May Allah grant him place in Jannat, ” he said.
