Mirwaiz finds Musharraf's proposal on Kashmir 'worth discussing'

Srinagar, Dec 29 : Chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Friday said that the four-point proposal suggested by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf were "worth discussing" and that the Hurriyat was willing to talk to the Centre, "provided a framework is formed on which the peace process can move forward".

Speaking to reporters after leading the Friday prayers here, Mirwaiz said, "I think in the context of how suggestions which have been put forth by Pakistani President (Pervez Musharraf). I feel that these are suggestions, which are worth discussing. Hurriyat can improve on the suggestions, which we feel can, you know sort of, support these suggestions. And as I said today, if India has also certain suggestion, we are willing to talk to them but provided that a sort of structure is framed on which we can move on and this dialogue process can move ahead."

Musharraf in a recent interview to a private news channel had spoken about the four-point proposal for resolving Kashmir issue that included withdrawal of army, Indo-Pak joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, and making the Line of Control irrelevant.

He also urged the Centre to declare a ceasefire in the state and said that it was "a high time" that the Government of India and Pakistan should show their political will to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"I think the initiatives should come from Delhi and as I have said many times that it is the high time that Government of India declare a ceasefire in Kashmir and we can all work together, " Mirwaiz said.

Mirwaiz has just returned from a nearly month long tour of Europe, where he met various members of the European Union Parliament and studied the Irish Peace process

Though he said that Irish peace process could not be replicated fully vis-'-vis Kashmir, yet there were certain similarities between the two issues and that there are "few things' in the model that could be implemented to resolve the Kashmir issue.

He also termed the Emma Nicholson report on Kashmir as 'biased', which stated that a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir "is unnecessary and irrelevant".

The report has said that "a plebiscite on the final status of J and K were wholly out of step with the needs of the local people and thus damaging to their interests".

Mirwaiz today expressed hope that they will be certain amendments made in the report, before being ratified by the EU Parliament.

Article Source: http://www.share.onlypunjab.com

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