Shabir Shah seeks clarifications from Centre on talks offer

Tariq Bhat

Srinagar, April 30: FOLLOWING the Hurriyat’s line that New Delhi has invited a crowd for talks, separatist Shabir Ahmed Shah today sought clarifications in this regard.

At a press conference here, he said a three-member team of the Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) will leave for New Delhi on May 2 to seek clarifications on ‘‘talks for peace, talks with own people and the role of Pakistan in talks’’.

Shah said Muhammad Abdullah Tahri, Saleem Geelani and Hakim Abdul Rashid will carry a letter from the party underling the points that require clarifications. He parried questions on whether the three members would hold talks with K.C. Pant, who had made the offer for talks. ‘‘ I am a Muslim and it is in the spirit of Islam to send a group,’’ he said.

Shah, however, faced embarrassment when Rashid sought the attention of reporters and said he would think whether to be part of the three-member team. ‘‘When the contents of this press conference were drafted, I wasn’t present,’’ he said.

Shah stressed that his party had not rejected the offer and was ready for dialogue with an assurance that Pakistan too would be involved as the talks progress. ‘‘We are desirous of peace. But talks should be specifically for solving the Kashmir issue. Their (Centre’s) own people are pro-India parties and politicians, including the surrendered militants.

‘‘Let India talk to them if it wants to talk to its own people. We are not their own people. We have never accepted accession,’’ he said.

Shah emphasised that Pant’s letter was silent over the participation of Pakistan in the talks and said they need to know Delhi’s mind on this. ‘‘Pakistan is a party to the dispute. Today, they (Centre) say we will not talk to them. I want to ask them (Centre), who were the parties involved in the Tashkent Agreement, Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration?’’

The JKDFP leader backed the Hurriyat on its opinion that New Delhi had ‘‘invited a crowd for talks’’ and demanded shortlisting of the parties and the people to be involved. ‘‘Yes, we have objections to giving invitations to everybody. Only those who love freedom should be called for the talks,’’ Shah said, adding: ‘‘The offer has been made to all and sundry so that it smacks of a plan to divide the Kashmiri people.’’ He said he questioned the invitation to Gujjars and Shias that reflects New Delhi’s plan to promote confusion among the Kashmiri people.

He said his party had discussed the talks offer in the open with the people of Kashmir, including 600 intellectuals from all religions and regions. The outcome of the debate was discussed at the party executive where it was decided to seek clarifications before a final answer.The separatist leader said soon after the talks offer, they directed their member in Pakistan and ‘‘Azad’’ Kashmir to seek the opinions of the Mujahideen and other leaders.