Hurriyat upbeat after India-Pakistan foreign secretaries' meet
In August 2014, India cancelled a meeting of the foreign secretaries after Pakistani ambassador to New Delhi met the Hurriyat Conference leaders and other separatists.
With the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar has welcomed the move as a positive step. They also hope that the two countries will engage with separatists as part of efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.
In August 2014, India cancelled a meeting of the foreign secretaries after Pakistani ambassador to New Delhi met the Hurriyat Conference leaders and other separatists. "Hurriyat Conference welcomes renewed efforts by India and Pakistan to re-engage on the path of dialogue after a breakdown of diplomacy and a period of high tension. It is a positive development and we welcome any step that improves relationship and builds confidence between India and Pakistan since it is a requisite for any process to resolve Kashmir," the Hurriyat Conference statement said after meeting of its executive council chaired by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Srinagar.
However, the Hurriyat said Kashmir issue must not be ignored or brushed aside, it said. "Further precious time should not be wasted to initiate a meaningful dialogue process. Time has come for the governments of India and Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to engage in a serious effort to resolve the Kashmir issue," the Hurriyat said.
While saying that the Hurriyat was ready to move for ward, the separatist conglomerate appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart to take up Kashmir as a matter of priority. "They should engage each other and involve the leadership of J&K in a combined effort to find a solution that accommodates the needs and interests of all the parties," the Hurriyat statement reads.
The Hurriyat said it believes that it is possible to find such a solution which will be acceptable to both India and Pakistan, and which also reflects the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "Only one thing required is the political will and imagination to search for it," the Hurriyat added.
Hurriyat Conference said that the state elections in Jammu and Kashmir have no bearing on the Kashmir issue. "Neither the voter turnout in elections nor the type of government they result can be termed as either a defeat or victory," the statement reads.