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Vohra
would hold talks only with "mainstream" politicians
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By
IOL South Asia Correspondent
NEW
DELHI, March 5 (IslamOnline.net) - The Indian federal government’s
new interlocutor on Kashmir, Mr NN Vohra, is currently visiting the
troubled province, beginning Wednesday, March 5, to hold talks with
mainstream political leaders.
Vohra
would hold talks only with "mainstream" politicians
including Governor Girish Saxena, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Ghulam Mohiud-Din
Shah.
He
may also talk to separatist leaders at a later stage, official sources
said in New Delhi.
This
is the first visit of Vohra to Jammu and Kashmir after he was
appointed the interlocutor
on February 19.
The
All-Party Hurriyat Conference and other separatist leaders have been
excluded from talks.
The
dialogue would focus on resolution of internal problems of the state.
The official stand as of now is that there would be no talks with
Pakistan.
The
Hurriyat Conference has refused to hold talks with the federal
government without Pakistan taking part simultaneously or at a later
stage.
It
sticks to the stand that without the involvement of Pakistan, the
federal government’s initiative could not bring any fruitful result.
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"Kashmiri
Mandela" Shabbir Shah during a demonstration in Srinagar
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Syed
Shabbir Ahmad Shah, leader of the Democratic Freedom Party, would also
stay away from talks with the official interlocutor.
Shah
has been unhappy with the federal government since he received a
lukewarm response from the government when he met the former
interlocutor on Kashmir KC Pant.
Last
August Shah, on a clear understanding, came to Delhi to meet Prime
Minister Vajpayee but the latter declined to meet him.
Vajpayee
speaking in the Rajya Sabha, upper house of the Parliament, Monday,
March 3, promised full support to Mufti Sayeed government in Kashmir
and said that "the past mistakes would not be repeated."
He
criticized Pakistan for raising bilateral issues at the multilateral
fora, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.
He
claimed Pakistan was isolated on Kashmir issue at the NAM summit in
Kuala Lumpur.
Pakistan
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said Tuesday, Monday 34, in
Islamabad that India and Pakistan could resolve the Kashmir issue in
the next three years but the final solution might not be the one
expected by the two countries.
There
is speculation that the Americans are working out on a plan which will
give both the countries something.
Only
this week former president Bill Clinton
has proposed the Irish model for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
The old American "Dixon plan" too is based on similar ideas.
Rashid
said that many people in Pakistan wanted to resolve the dispute,
admitting that after September 11 attacks, Washington turned against
Pakistan policies.
Rashid's
comments are seen by the diplomatic circle to be in line with
Pakistan’s Kashmir Committee chairman and former president of Azad
Kashmir, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan's views.
Khan
has said that Islamabad should seriously consider accepting the Line
of Control (LoC) as a solution.
His
comments drew angry reactions from militant groups.
The
Indian position is that the Pakistan-administered Kashmir too belongs
to Delhi and should be returned to it.
But
observers here believe that this is a bargaining position and that
India will be too happy to accept the LoC as formal border.
