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Cautious response by Hurriyat to Centre`s offer
Sringar, Oct 23: In a cautious response to the Centre`s announcement that Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani would hold talks for the first time with Hurriyat leadership, the amalgam today said it would try to build a consensus before entering into a dialogue.
Sringar, Oct 23: In a cautious response to the Centre's announcement that Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani would hold talks for the first time with Hurriyat leadership, the amalgam today said it would try to build a consensus before entering into a dialogue.
Emerging after an emergency one-hour meeting of the amalgam's executive council which discussed the issue, former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat told reporters that "government has expressed willingness to talk to Hurriyat. Talking is better than acrimony. Constitutional position of Hurriyat is that we will be talking to anyone,
anytime and anywhere."
"We view with deep interest the developments shaping up in New Delhi and Islamabad. We think the developments are encouraging," he said. He refused to take direct questions about the Hurriyat's response to the Centre's fresh initiative but said, "If India and Pakistan take one step towards resolution of the problem, we will take two if not more."
Besides Bhat and Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, the meeting was attended by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Bilal Lone.
The decision of the Hurriyat was not to rush into the offer but build a consensus by holding talks with wide section of people and groups including those who had left the amalgam after the split on September 07.
The Centre had announced yesterday that Advani would be meeting Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari but gave no dates. Elaborating the rationale behind building a consensus, the former Hurriyat chairman said, "If we decide to go (for talks), we should go with a broader consensus. We will meet all the organisations and interact with people before" going to enter into parleys with either India or Pakistan.
Bhat said besides convening meetings of general council and working committee of the amalgam, the Hurriyat Conference would also meet separatist organisation outside the conglomerate.
"As soon as the discussions are complete, the outline of the programme will be drafted and taken up with the Governments of India and Pakistan," he said and added that the process of consultations and public interactions were likely to be completed in 10 days. He said the discussions would include finding ways and means for durable and acceptable solution of Kashmir issue.
Stressing on the need for a dialogue, he said the "When the process of talks is set afoot in India or Pakistan, we will have to contribute to it and consolidate it....We have reached a stage where we must understand that if we fail in our duty, history and future generations will never forgive us."
Bureau Report
"We view with deep interest the developments shaping up in New Delhi and Islamabad. We think the developments are encouraging," he said. He refused to take direct questions about the Hurriyat's response to the Centre's fresh initiative but said, "If India and Pakistan take one step towards resolution of the problem, we will take two if not more."
Besides Bhat and Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, the meeting was attended by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Bilal Lone.
The decision of the Hurriyat was not to rush into the offer but build a consensus by holding talks with wide section of people and groups including those who had left the amalgam after the split on September 07.
The Centre had announced yesterday that Advani would be meeting Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari but gave no dates. Elaborating the rationale behind building a consensus, the former Hurriyat chairman said, "If we decide to go (for talks), we should go with a broader consensus. We will meet all the organisations and interact with people before" going to enter into parleys with either India or Pakistan.
Bhat said besides convening meetings of general council and working committee of the amalgam, the Hurriyat Conference would also meet separatist organisation outside the conglomerate.
"As soon as the discussions are complete, the outline of the programme will be drafted and taken up with the Governments of India and Pakistan," he said and added that the process of consultations and public interactions were likely to be completed in 10 days. He said the discussions would include finding ways and means for durable and acceptable solution of Kashmir issue.
Stressing on the need for a dialogue, he said the "When the process of talks is set afoot in India or Pakistan, we will have to contribute to it and consolidate it....We have reached a stage where we must understand that if we fail in our duty, history and future generations will never forgive us."
Bureau Report