The Pakistan delegation members were: Abdul Majid Malik, former Chief
Justice Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK); Raja Khalid Akbar Khan,
educationist, Mirpur; Ashfaq Ahmed
Hashmi, Muzaffarabad; Mohammed Irshad Mehmood, Institute of Strategic
Studies, Islamabad; Sayed Arif Bahar, journalist, Muzaffarabad;
Prof. Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Muzaffarabad; Syed Afaq Hussain, Muzaffarabad;
Farooq Khan Niazi, advocate, Mirpur; Munir Hussain Chaudhary, Mirpur;
Asadullah Khan; Imran Nadeem; Fida Mohammed Nashad; Syed Afaq Hussain.
The conference was addressed by Ashfaq Ahmed Hashmi, Nahid Tariq (MLA),
Khalid Khan (PoK), Muneer Choudhary (PoK), Raj Mohammed Jameel
(PoK), Mohamed Ismail Khan (Skardu), Fida Mohammed Nashad and
Nadeem of Baltistan. All of them highlighted the importance of peace
and mutual trust so that the Kashmir issue could be resolved peacefully
and
peace and stability could be established in the subcontinent.
Addressing the gathering Justice
Abdul Majid Malik stressed on the
need for harmonious relations between India and Pakistan and hoped that
the ongoing peace process between the two nations would be taken to
the logical conclusion. He also laid importance on developing and
strengthening human and brotherly relations between the people of India
and Pakistan, especially those living on both the sides of Line of
Control (LoC). Iyam Nadeem and Fide Mohammed Nashad,
while addressing the conference suggested that employees working in PoK
must be allowed to visit Indian Kashmir so that they
could have a broader interaction with the people. Khalid Akbar Khan
came up with the idea of a joint struggle for demolishing the walls of
hatred and also demanded opening of all land routes across the LoC. The
delegation admitted that Hurriyat Conference was not
true representative of Kashmiris and therefore the dialogue process
needs to be
expanded beyond the Hurriyat to include other groups as well.
The Pakistani delegation was met by Retd.Chief Justice R P Sethi;
K.D.Sethi; Prof Sahoor-ul-Din, Head of Urdu Department
of Jammu University; Rajiv Chunni, Chairman SOS; and,
Jatinder
Bakshi, President, Action Committee for Return of Migrants. They
had friendly interaction with the delegation and requested them to
raise the
issue of refugees during the two day conference. In her opening
address, Radha Kumar of Delhi Policy Group praised the
efforts of the Indian government and Pakistani leaders towards
Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and described the opening of the
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road as one of the major steps in this direction.
Chief Editor of Kashmir Times Ved Bhasin stated that the Kashmir
problem
should be solved in accordance with the wishes of the people so that
peace would be established in the region. Raj Mohan Gandhi, a well know
social activist, stressed on the need for building confidence among the
people of India and Pakistan so that both the sides could effectively
work for establishing peace. Naleem Baldeo Sharma and Prof Siddiq Wahid
asserted that all the sections of the people should be included in the
peace process so that a permanent and viable solution could be
reached. K.D. Sethi stressed on the need to give maximum weightage to
the
wishes of people of all the regions of Kashmir and also added that
the Hurriyat did not truly represent the people. Veteran
journalist Balraj Puri stated that establishment of peace was the first
step
towards the resolution of the Kashmir problem. He also stressed the
importance of doing away with gun culture as it is a hindrance for a
meaningful dialogue. Moti Lal (Hindi Forum Leader) laid stress to end
all forms of violence. A.R. Hanjoora stressed on the importance of the
return of Kashmiri Pandits with honour and dignity.
Four members of the Pakistani delegation stated their nationality in
the C-form at the hotel records as 'State of Jammu and Kashmir They
were Abdul Majid Malik, Munir Hussain Chaudhary, Raja Khalid Akbar Khan
and Advocate Farooq Khan Niazi. In an informal interaction, Afaq Ahmed
confided in Tahir Mohi-ud-din that militant camps have not been closed
in Pakistan and such camps were very much there though their
activities are suspended at present. The delegation also met Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq, Prof Gani Bhat (MC), Moulavi Abbas Ansari (IUM),
Bilal Gani Lone (PC), Salim Geelani (breakaway DFP), Fazal-Ul-Haq
Qureshi (PPF) and Khalil (PC/Bilal). Members of the delegation also
met MY Tarigami (MLA, CPM) and Hakim Yaseen, Minister for Revenue.
Tarigami stated that internal ceasefire was necessary for the
restoration of peace in the state. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not content
with the organisers for not consulting with the APHC.
During their stay the Pakistani delegation met the families of thos who
had migrated from PoK and interacted with them. They also met many key
leaders and personalities of Indian Kashmir.
