SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front JKLF) has withdrawn its call for a Kashmir bandh over the non-inclusion of Kashmiri representatives in the forthcoming Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir.
The chief spokesman of the JKLF said here that the party’s supreme revolutionary command council had decided to call off the proposed strike in view of the assurances given by the two counties regarding the involvement of Kashmiri representatives in the decisive round of talks. He said the two Counties had changed their stand on the issue following the recent hunger-strike by the detained JELF president Mohammad Yasin Malik.
The Indian government’s assurance was conveyed to Malik by the veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar. The latter has put on record the Indian government’s commitment that the people of the state will be consulted and involved before reaching a settlement on Kashmir.
The foreign secretary of Pakistan Shahrayar Khan in a recent interview for an Indian newspaper said that Islamabad was for the participation of Kashmiris in the Indo-Pak dialogue He said if the talks moved ahead Islamabad would seek to bring in the Kashmiris in future rounds.
In view Of these assurances the JKLF which had always in the past registered its protest over the exclusion of Kashmiris from the Indo-Pak dialogue on the Kashmir dispute has welcomed the proposed Secretary Level talks. However it warned that the JKLF which represents the people of Jammu and Kashmir would not accept any settlement if the people were not involved.
Shortly before the JKLF decision the Hizbul Mujahideen had asked People not to respond to any strike call unless it was given by the All Party Hurriyat Conference a joint forum of secessionist political parties in the state. While reiterating its stand on the involvement of Kashmiris in the talks the Hizb said that the no constituent of the Hurriyat should be allowed to chalk out an independent course of action.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 7, 1994
