‘Kashmiris Seen With Suspicion’
There Is Mistrust Between New Delhi And Srinagar: Mustafa Kamaal
The ruling National Conference Sunday termed Liyaqat Ali Shah’s arrest by Delhi Police as the result of “mishandling of internal dimension of Kashmir issue and mistrust between New Delhi and Srinagar.”
Talking to Greater Kashmir, NC Additional General Secretary Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal said, “Kashmiris continue to be seen with suspicion. This is the result of the mistrust between New Delhi and Kashmir. I believe it is high time for Delhi to address the Kashmir issue.”
He said none of the exercises initiated by the Government of India since 1975 Accord were implemented on ground. “We have been confined to lip-service only,” the NC leader said. “After Indira-Abdullah Accord, Kashmir Committee led by Ram Jethmalani and the then Prime Minister of India Narsimha Rao stated that sky is the limit. Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh constituted Working Groups on Kashmir. We saw Prime Minister stating that borders would be made irrelevant. And in 2010, interlocutors were appointed. After witnessing all this, nothing was found on ground and the problem remained where it was,” he said.
He said the incidents like the arrest of Shah by Delhi Police are “the symptoms of a bigger disease called Kashmir conflict.”
New Delhi, the NC leader said, should look into the bruised psyche of Kashmiris and address the root cause without any further delay. He said separatists were allowed the political space by none other than the NC. “Had we not been there, separatists would have been a non-entity. It is high time for them to contest polls and fight for the peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue,” he said. Kamaal said those claiming to be spearheading the separatist campaign in Kashmir have contested elections four times.
Senior NC leader and MP from South Kashmir, Dr Mehboob Beg said since Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken up Liyaqat’s arrest with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and sought probe by National Investigation Agency, it remains to be seen how things would shape up.
“Chief Minister has taken a right step at the right time without any delay. We should wait for the outcome,” he said.
Dr Beg said he seconds the statement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that NC and PDP should see how DMK pulled out of UPA and how Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution in favour of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins that forced the Government of India to put the death sentence of the accused on hold. “In Tamil Nadu, everybody irrespective of their party affiliations spoke in a united voice. Same should happen here in case of Guru’s body and Shah’s release,” Dr Beg said. He said it is high time that mainstream and separatist leaders should back Chief Minister so that pressure is mounted on Government of India to return Guru’s body and to release Shah.