Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp while reacting to Pakistan’s statement to address the issues of Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek through Track II diplomacy hoped that with the betterment in Indo- Pak relations, Kashmir would get resolved.Chairman Huriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed it a good beginning, saying the two countries should take concrete measures to ensure better relations. “If the relations between the two countries become cordial, it will pave way for the peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue. It is not bad if the two countries have decided to address the pending issues via the back channel talks Let they go ahead with it,” Mirwaiz said.
However, the Hurriyat (M) chief was quick to add that in the second phase, Kashmir’s leadership has to be taken on board so that Kashmir is resolved as per the aspirations of the people of the region. “Both the countries understand at present that without Kashmir, they cannot move ahead. Even if they address entirely the other issues pending between them, they cannot move forward without Kashmir. At the same time, even if small development is ensured vis-a-vis Kashmir, it makes good impact upon the Indo-Pak relations and paves way for settling other issues with the most optimistic approach,” Mirwaiz told KNS.The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik said that a detailed statement in this regard shall be issued by the party soon.
Malik refused to comment at present about the Pak statement.
The Huriyat faction led by the senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said that both India and Pakistan are the sovereign countries and can take decisions about the matters pertaining to them. “We want better relations between India and Pakistan and it is their prerogative to decide how to address their bilateral issues,” Huriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar told KNS.He, however, maintained that no back channel diplomacy on Kashmir shall be allowed. “We want issues about Kashmir to be addressed in the broad day light and not behind the closed doors,” he added. Pertinently, Pak PM's adviser on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday had said both leaders were of the opinion that for lasting peace the way forward was to address the outstanding issues like Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek.“The two sides also agreed to take up these issues under the back-channel Track-II mechanism for better understanding of each other's point of view," Aziz had said in an interview with a newspaper.