New Delhi: Lauding New Delhi and Islamabad’s efforts to resume dialogue between both countries, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday said India and Pakistan must come close to resolve the long pending Kashmir issue.
Farooq, who met Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Sunday, said that the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan should take place at the earliest so that all issues, including Kashmir, are addressed.
“Hurriyat fells that the initiative taken by Modi sahib and Nawaz Sharif sahib towards talks between both nations should be taken forward. Hurriyat fells that dialogue needs to be given a direction,” he told ANI.
“The Hurriyat Conference and the people Kashmir feel that unless India and Paksitan come close, the Kashmir problem cannot be solved. I told Basit sahib that people of Kashmir want the dialogue process to move forward,” he added.
Farooq further said that incidents like terrorist attack on Airforce base in Pathankot should not affect the dialogue process between both nations.
“The attacks in Pathankot were an effort to derails talks between both nations. We do not want this process to be derailed,” he said.
The Pakistani envoy earlier in the day called on Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to inquire about his health and also discussed the issue of Kashmir.
During the meeting, Geelani extended his appreciation towards Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement on account of Kashmir solidarity day.
Geelani alleged that India was trying hard to ‘suppress’ the voices of the people of Kashmir.
Basit assured him that Pakistan would continue to extend ‘moral, political and diplomatic support’ to the people of Kashmir.
The High Commissioner also expressed hope that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute would be settled between Pakistan and India through a dialogue in accordance with the aspirations of the people of the state.
India had earlier called off the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan over Basit’s meetings with the separatists. (ANI)