In a response to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Sunday, 23 June, said that if 'meaningful' talks are initiated 'there will be a positive response'.
He also said that they have always been ready for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Malik, on Saturday, had made a public statement in the presence of Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, saying that the Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks.
“Things are much better than when I came here. Look at the Hurriyat, Ram Vilas Paswan stood at their door and they didn’t open the door. Now they are ready for talks,” Malik had said.
‘Dialogue the Only Way,’ Mirwaiz Responds to Malik
In an interview to The Indian Express, Mirwaiz said, "We are convinced that a way out can only be achieved through talking”.
“I can tell you that if meaningful talks are initiated, there will be a positive response. Dialogue is the only way and that is our consistent stand,” he told The Indian Express.
“Hurriyat has always been in favour of talks as the means of resolution. We have not said anything new. We have always been saying this. As the most affected party with daily killings of our young, we would naturally want peaceful resolution of the issue.”Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hurriyat Conference chairman
Mirwaiz also said that the “Hurriyat has engaged with both India and Pakistan in the past” and “are always ready to engage”.
‘No Indication From Centre to Suggest Change in Approach’: Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah, former chief minister and National Conference vice-president, told the daily that they would welcome any initiative to break the deadlock.
“The JKNC has been consistently and constantly advocating for a dialogue between the Centre and the various stakeholders in the state. We hope that the solid mandate PM Modi received will encourage him to look at treating J&K differently this time as compared to his first term.”Omar Abdullah to The Indian Express
He further suggested that there have been no indication from the Centre to make any change in its approach.
He said that although Governor Malik and Mirwaiz have advocated dialogue, there is no no indication from the Centre to suggest a change in approach and that is what they will be looking for in the days ahead.
Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Welcomes the Talk
Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the move and said that she is “relieved that Hurriyat has finally softened their stand”.
In her tweet, she also expressed that she her tried her best to make it happen under her tenure”.
Not Easy to Assess Kashmir’s Situation From Outside: Governor
On Saturday, Malik had said the situation in Kashmir had improved ever since he took over as the governor last August, adding that recruitment of militants had almost stopped and stone-pelting incidents on Fridays had ended.
"I feel good that the temperature (of the situation) has come down significantly since the day I arrived here," he said, as per PTI.
“We do not feel good when a youth is killed, we want to bring him back. There is a lot of thought being given as to what kind of scheme is needed to bring them back,” Malik said.
"But when someone opens fire, the security forces will fire back. They would not present a bouquet of flowers," he said.
The governor also hinted that it was not easy to assess the situation of Kashmir while sitting elsewhere in the country even if one had served or lived in the valley for some time.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and PTI)
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