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Friday, May 27, 2005

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JKLF team for Pakistan

Shujaat Bukhari

Mirwaiz to lead five-member Hurriyat faction delegation

SRINAGAR: It was the turn of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on Thursday to join the bandwagon. After a two-daymeeting, the party decided to send a delegation to Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on June 2.

Announcing the decision, the Front chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, said that it was decided to give "yet another chance" to the process started ostensibly to resolve the Kashmir issue. "But keeping in view the interests of people of Kashmir, the JKLF has accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan. And, we have proposed to send a delegation of 17 members if the permission is given to all of them," he said adding that it would comprise its members, intellectuals and representatives of Hindu and Sikh minority community. Mr. Malik would lead the delegation. He said that on the same day, JKLF leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Middle East would visit Pakistan to take part in the deliberation.

Not optimistic

Mr. Malik, however, was not optimistic about the exercise but wanted "to give peace another chance."

"If we fail we will rethink. My aim will be to get Kashmiris involved in talks and to win an assurance that any resolution has to be in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris," he said.Mr. Malik said he would be "very happy" if Pakistan-based militant leaders meet him there. The moderate faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference announced a five-member delegation will visit Pakistan. Led by its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, other members will be Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Bhat, Fazl Haque Qureshi and Bilal Gani Lone.

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