Hizb chief sees 'tremendous betrayal' in Pak offer

Terming the development a “tremendous betrayal” by the Pakistani government, Salahuddin said Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was legitimising Kashmiri leaders who had helped strengthen New Delhi’s control over the state.

He also rejected the conciliatory approach of the new Pakistan establishment and talked of continuing the armed struggle until a settlement on Kashmir. “We not going to give up gun under any pressure,” Salahuddin said in a statement. He added that if India was ready to hold tripartite talks with Pakistan and the genuine leadership of Kashmir, the Hizb had no objection to silencing its guns. “ Until then there is no question of shunning the gun.”

Talking of Mehbooba and Omar’s presence in Pakistan, Salahuddin said: “I wonder as to how they were given Pakistani visa. They do not represent the aspirations of the Kashmiris for a lasting settlement of the dispute.”

“New Delhi has rejected the peace moves offered by Pakistan and has used the dialogue process to weaken the separatist struggle in Kashmir. Further offers of peaceful settlement will take us nowhere,” Salahuddin said.

Earlier, Salahuddin had set three conditions for ceasefire in the state: release of prisoners, demilitarisation and end of rights violations. Significantly, he didn’t mention that Kashmir be consider a disputed state, otherwise a staple condition for its previous offers of truce to the Centre.