Mirwaiz meets European Union delegation

SRINAGAR - Mirwaiz Umar Farooq leader of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference met visiting delegates of European Union and said third party intervention in the vexed Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan has become inevitable for its ultimate settlement.

“The Hurriyat Conference has always supported the dialogue between the two countries (Indian and Pakistan) but we can’t deny the fact that both countries have differences on certain issues and I conveyed this thing to this EU delegation…we want that both countries should solve this issue through dialogue with the involvement of Kashmiri people but the circumstances suggest that there is a need of a third party to solve the issue,” said Farooq.

He also sought foreign direct investment in the power sector to tap the state’s huge hydropower potential.

He further said that the international community, mainly European Union, should push for a dialogue between India and Pakistan.

He also mentioned that New Delhi has been requested to pull out troops, release prisoners and end human rights violations before resuming peace talks.

“We conveyed our proposals very clearly to the delegation… We primarily focussed on four main points namely, release of political prisoners, revocation of strict laws, gradual demilitarisation and restoration of human rights. We made it very clear that we will not be able to push forward the dialogue process with the federal government unless these four demands are met,” Farooq said.

Earlier, the delegates from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden also met separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani. (ANI)