Kashmir’s business fraternity on Tuesday advised interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma, who is on a maiden visit to Srinagar, to meet separatist leaders to achieve any forward movement on talks.
Chairman, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Muhammad Yaseen Khan said that the interlocutor’s meeting with traders and businessmen won’t serve any purpose. “It is a futile exercise,” he said.
The interlocutor, he said, should meet separatists to achieve a breakthrough. “Otherwise, we have seen in the past how these envoys meet people and do nothing.”
Khan said that Kashmir needs a political solution and Sharma’s meeting with traders won’t serve any purpose. “Separatists represent the aspirations of the people and it is foolish to ignore them,” the KEA chairman said.
He said that the business community favours a “meaningful dialogue.”
President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries Javed Tenga said: “We have got an invitation (to meet him) but we have decided not to go. We believe it won’t serve any purpose.”
President, Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Kashmir, Zahoor Ahmad Tramboo, said: “Everybody knows who the real stakeholders are.”
“Misusing” the term stakeholder by inviting “lesser-known people” is nothing but eyewash, he said.
President of his faction of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Bashir Ahmad Rather, said that its “unfortunate” that the interlocutor has not made any effort to meet the separatists. “We have decided not to meet him as we don’t have any mandate to talk about political issues,” Rather said.
Business leaders want Dineshwar Sharma to meet resistance camp
