Hurriyat backs Musharraf’s ceasefire call

NEW DELHI: The Hurriyat Conference on Friday supported President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s call for a ceasefire along the Line of Control and urged India to respond positively.

“I support Musharraf’s suggestion for ceasefire and appeal to India to reciprocate positively to smoothen the way for a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute,” Hurriyat Chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari said in a statement in the Indian Held Kashmir. “Such a ceasefire,” he said, “will help create a conducive atmosphere for a permanent solution to the Kashmir Problem.” Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, President Musharraf had invited India to a complete ceasefire along the LoC. “I appeal to militants in Jammu and Kashmir to drop their guns so that concrete steps are taken for the resolution of the Kashmir issue,” Maulana Ansari said.

The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) had also earlier appealed to initiate a ceasefire along the LoC and observe the International Day of Peace.

“The conflict over Jammu and Kashmir has cost many lives, caused much tragedy and could sadly continue to threaten the region’s stability for years to come,” the UNMOGIP said in a news release, hoping the parties to the conflict would embrace this opportunity to lay down their arms and observe the International Day of Peace.

UNMOGIP’s appeal for ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, however, had been described here as startling. Reacting over the press release, according to a news report, a senior External Affairs Ministry official said: “We shall be taking this up with the United Nations headquarters in New York.” —APP

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