SRINAGAR, Sep 22: In his first public appearance following his release, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reiterated the stand of his separatist amalgam that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir has to be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means.
The Mirwaiz also said the people of Kashmir believe in peaceful coexistence between communities and nations, and have always advocated for the return of Kashmiri Pandits.
“We have always invited our Pandit brothers to return to the valley. We have always disapproved of making it as a political issue. It is a human issue,” he said.
“Our stand is that a part of J-K is in India, another in Pakistan and the third in China. All these make Jammu and Kashmir as it existed in August 1947. The people have been divided and it is a reality that the issue needs to be resolved which the international community also endorses,” the Mirwaiz said during the Friday congregational sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid here.
Many families have been separated because of the dividing line between India and Pakistan, and they are craving to see and meet each other to celebrate their joys and share their pains, the Mirwaiz said.
“This can be a geographical issue for some, but it is foremost a human issue for the people of J-K. We have to rise above the considerations of geography or area and understand the human values and relationships and then move forward towards the resolution of the issues,” he added.
The Hurriyat chairman, while referring to the recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Ukraine that this is not an era of war, said the sentiment holds true.
“We have always believed and participated in efforts of resolution through an alternative to violent means which is dialogue and reconciliation. We have personally suffered for pursuing this route.
“We have no personal ambition but to represent the interests and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are our basic concern and people want settlement and peace. We want the issue to be resolved in a peaceful manner so that people are rid of further difficulties,” he said, adding, a new phase of peace and prosperity can start after resolving the issues. (Agencies)
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