Division of J&K unacceptable solution, says Geelani
Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani on Wednesday said division of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including those parts under Pakistani control, was an unacceptable solution and reiterated his stand that dialogue between India and Pakistan would be futile without focusing on resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Geelani told reporters that any solution of K-issue which divides the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which also includes regions under Pakistani control, was unacceptable.
“Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and it is a single unit. Jammu division, Valley, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed territory and we are not in favour of dividing this entire region. We will not allow any area to be divided,” Geelani told reporters at his residence on the outskirts of the city.
Geelani’s dismissal of the division of the erstwhile princely state of J&K was in response to a question whether he would accept the four-point formula, promoted as a solution by former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf. The formula advocates that the Line of Control should become a permanent but porous border.
Geelani also dismissed dialogue between India and Pakistan insisting it will “again be futile” if it does not focus on solving the Kashmir issue in its “historical context”. “Dialogue has taken place more than 150 times but no dialogue has helped solve the Kashmir issue… dialogue will not achieve results unless (UN) resolutions are implemented and India fulfils its promises,” he said.
He said Musharraf had assured him that Pakistan would withdraw troops from areas of the state under its control if India agreed to hold a referendum, the precondition in UN resolutions.
“The resolutions say that Pakistan should withdraw troops from Azad Kashmir and India should withdraw the bulk of its troops from the (Kashmir) valley. Musharraf had told me that when India agrees to a referendum, we will withdraw the troops,” Geelani said.
Geelani also demanded the “immediate release” of separatist Masarat Alam Bhat.
