Kashmiri leaders from both sides likely to meet in Delhi

By Mohammad Imran

ISLAMABAD: Top Kashmiri leaders from both side of the Line of Control (LoC) are likely to meet in New Delhi in the second week of next month, sources told Daily Times.

“The Indian government may allow leaders from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to attend a meeting of the steering committee of the European Parliament All Parties Group for Kashmir, likely to be held some time next month,” sources said.

In its last meeting, the steering committee nominated two of its members - Kuldip Nair, parliamentarian, and Justice (r) Rajindar Sachar, former chief justice of Delhi High Court - to hold talks with the Indian authorities on allowing the Azad Kashmiri leaders, who are member of the steering committee, to come to Delhi.

Sources said that during the last steering committee meeting - held on January 13 and 14 - it was decided that the next meeting would be held in New Delhi by March 15. This did not happen because the Indian government did not allow the Azad Kashmiri leaders to attend the meeting.

Sources said Nair informed some of the members of the steering committee that the Indian government was seriously considering allowing the committee to meet in the Indian capital.

Sources said this would be the first interaction between Kashmiri leaders from both sides of the LoC at New Delhi. Syed Ali Geelani, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani, and Mir Waiz Umer Farooq, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee will be the leaders from held Kashmir while Shah Ghulam Qadir, former AJK finance minister, Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan, president All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, Sardar Ejaz Afzal Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami’s ameer in AJK, and some other leaders are members of the steering committee.

The basic purpose of the steering committee meeting is to hold a ‘Global Discourse on Kashmir’ in Brussels in the last week of April. The European Parliaments All Parties Group for Kashmir was formed to act as a bridge between India and Pakistan in resolving the Kashmir issue and gain credibility and the acceptance of all parties concerned with the Kashmir issue. Sources said members of the European Union parliament would attend the Global Discourse on Kashmir.

Home | National