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| India-Pakistan |
| Salahuddin stresses demilitarisation |
| 2006-08-18 |
| What is urdu for chutzpah? The Pakistan based chief of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin, on Thursday said that the proposal of self-rule could be discussed only after complete demilitarisation across the Line of Control. He said that for him declare a ceasefire to help the peace process to succeed, "a green signal" should come from New Delhi. He also denied that there was any presence of the Al Qaeda in Kashmir. In an interview to a local news agency, KNS, Mr. Salahuddin said ceasefire had practically no connection with the peace process. "If the Government of India is sincere in resolving the Kashmir issue and the international community also stresses upon us to declare [a] ceasefire to help the peace process to succeed then the green signal should come from New Delhi," he said. Asked what the "green signal" would mean, he said: "New Delhi should accept Kashmir as a disputed area and take such steps as will restore our confidence." The politician-turned-militant leader said the pre-1990 position of troop deployment in Jammu and Kashmir should be restored, all the prisoners released, military operations stopped and India should commit before the international community that tripartite talks would be held. "We [will then be] ready for a ceasefire." Stating that the Hizb continued to play a political and diplomatic role, Mr. Salahuddin said that if "any of our efforts help the peace process succeed, I will be happy because we know people are experiencing difficulties in Kashmir. It does not matter whose bullets come out of the gun as it is only the Kashmiri that suffers." But at the same time it did not mean that "we surrender our birth right." The Hizb chief regretted that Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, at the cost of his credibility, offered self-rule, demilitarisation and joint control as a solution but "India did not respond positively and did not exhibit sincerity." To a question about self-rule, he said it was possible to discuss it only after India and Pakistan withdrew their troops from both parts of Kashmir. "In a situation of self-rule, people will be solely responsible for their political system. This could be the first step towards implementation of the right of self determination." |
| Posted by:john |
| #1 How about we talk about it after Baluchistan gets self-rule, (and it's) people will be solely responsible for their political system. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-08-18 07:58 |