Ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan this month to attend a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, today described it as a “real opportunity” for both countries to break the ice and engage constructively.
Returning to his account on X that he kept suspended for the past five years after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 when most opposition leaders were put under detention, he wrote; “India and Pakistan have a real opportunity at the upcoming SCO Summit to break the ice and engage constructively. Hope they heed to it”.
He wrote; ” After more than 5 years, mostly spent under house detention, when J&K, in August of 2019, went through the rude shock and humiliation of losing its semi-autonomous status, was broken into two parts, downgraded to a union territory followed by a no-holds-barred clampdown and communication blackout, I return to this platform with the same hope of peace and justice for the people of Jammu & Kashmir that I have always desired”. “Despite increased challenges, the resolve for peaceful resolution of the conflict remains stronger than ever. Generations of Kashmiris have been consumed by the uncertainty. We want an end to it, a fair closure”.
In his sermons at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid also on Friday, Mirwaiz dwelt on the Kashmir issue, saying; “We want an end to the pain of the families divided across the LOC since 1947 , and post 1990 the suffering of a Kashmiri Pandit community that migrated. This pulpit has always stood for humanity and rights of all people of J&K”, he said.
Mirwaiz said “That is why we repeatedly advocate peaceful means of outreach and dialogue. We already have the previous framework of dialogue from Vajpayee ji’s and Manmohan Singh ji’s time to begin with and work around”.”The powers involved in the conflict don’t look at Kashmir as a humanitarian issue, which has consumed generations of Kashmiris- yearning for a solution and closure to the conflict”, he added.