Shujaat Bukhari
SRINAGAR: Terming the planned visit by an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir an “eyewash,” the hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Geelani said his party would not meet it.
The delegation, headed by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, is scheduled to visit the State from Monday.
Mr. Geelani, scrapping the programme of marching towards Army camps, has instead asked people to raise their voice for demilitarisation at their respective district headquarters.
In a statement here, Mr. Geelani said the delegation had been given the mandate to talk within the framework of the Constitution but “that is not going to help in moving forward to resolve the Kashmir dispute.”
He said Kashmir was a 63-year-old dispute, and India and Pakistan had held 150 rounds of talks during the period but failed to reach any agreement. “We are not against the dialogue process but before that certain measures are necessary,” he said. He reiterated the five-point formula in which he had called for withdrawal of forces, release of prisoners and punishment to those responsible for recent killings. He had also wanted India to accept Kashmir as a dispute.
Mr. Geelani claimed that while the government was “[making every effort to] suppress the genuine democratic movement in Kashmir,” in a single day 17 people were killed, which made it clear “to what extent the government can go to muzzle our voice.”
3 more civilians killed
Even as the authorities relaxed curfew here for some hours, three more civilians were killed in clashes with security forces in Anantnag and Pattan areas on Saturday. At least 20 people were injured.
With one youth dying of injuries in hospital and the body of a missing youth allegedly chased by security forces being fished out of the Jhelum, the death toll in the unrest since June 11 has gone up to 103.
Two youths, Ansar Ahmad and Ali Mohammad, were killed when security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators in Palhalan on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Seven people were injured, one of whom died later in hospital. Locals said the firing was unprovoked but a police spokesman said the crowd tried to block the Highway and threw stones at the security forces.
(the hindu)
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