The joint separatist leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Friday said that Kashmir is not a territorial dispute but a human and political issue, even as it reiterated that it was not averse to a “sincere, meaningful and result-oriented dialogue among the three parties to the dispute.”
In a joint statement, a spokesman of the joint separatist leadership said that Mirwaiz and Malik held a meeting with Geelani at his residence at Hyderpora on Thursday.
“The meeting was held after initial reluctance by the authorities to let Mirwaiz and Malik meet the octogenarian leader to inquire about his health and discuss the situation in Kashmir. This is the first time that the leadership was allowed to meet together this year by the authorities,” the statement read.
The leadership reiterated that as far as a sincere, meaningful and result-oriented dialogue process among the three parties to the dispute is concerned, “we were never against it and saw it as a means of conflict resolution.”
The leadership “regretted” that instead of creating conducive environment for such a process, “New Delhi sees the issue as a law and order and administrative problem and as such is focused on upgrading the police apparatus and enhancing military power by providing war-headed helicopters for use against Kashmiri people who raise slogans for the right to self-determination.”
“This military approach results in continued killings, maiming, blinding and injuring of people. Political activists have been jailed and peaceful political activities are prohibited. Every nook and corner of the state has been turned into a garrison and a battlefield. In this grim situation of oppression, the rhetoric to hold a dialogue for the permanent resolution of Kashmir issue is an excuse to flee from the dialogue table and put the onus on the resistance leadership,” the joint leadership said.
The leadership said it was the “custodian” of innumerable sacrifices in terms of half a million lives lost, enforced disappearances, violation of chastity of women, incarceration, languishing and torture of thousands of people especially youth. The leadership said it seeks a “result-oriented and meaningful dialogue that leads to fulfilling the will and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.”
“Like all human beings world over, we also desire for peace and prosperity. The joint leadership represents the sacred sentiments of people demanding right to self-determination and urges the need between two nuclear neighbours to defuse the high-danger of widespread destruction of human life and property in the wake of any clash between them and appeals them to engage with each other for resolution of issues,” the three leaders said.
