The Hindu : Front Page : Hurriyat welcomes Shabir Shah’s unity formula

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Wednesday, Jan 09, 2008
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Hurriyat welcomes Shabir Shah’s unity formula

Special Correspondent

“Solution to Kashmir must be found outside Constitutions of India, Pakistan”

JAMMU: The head of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Tuesday suggested that a solution to the Kashmir issue be searched outside the ambit of the Constitutions of India and Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, he welcomed the unity formula floated by Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah on Monday.

Reiterating the Hurriyat stand that a solution to the Kashmir issue could be found in accordance with its constitution, formulated in 1993, the Mirwaiz said: “We need to search for a solution that can respect the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiris. For that the 1993 constitution is like a preamble for us, which allows us to seek a solution to the Kashmir imbroglio outside the constitutions of both India and Pakistan.”

On the unity formula of Mr. Shabir Shah, the Mirwaiz said it was the Hurriyat’s endeavour to unify all separatists. “The Hurriyat is for giving a political direction to the Kashmir issue at national and international forums. And for this, unification is a must. We take Shah Sahab’s proposals in a positive way and will ensure that there would be no roadblocks from our side in his endeavour.”

Invitation to Shah

The Mirwaiz extended an invitation to Mr. Shah to join the Hurriyat. “I will be personally going to meet him with an invitation.”

Mr. Shah was a founder-member of the Hurriyat. However, he parted ways after some differences with the leadership.

The Mirwaiz disclosed that they were working to make the Hurriyat a grassroots-level party.

“We are seriously thinking of giving the Hurriyat a structure with offices at the block, tehsil and district levels in both parts of Kashmir. We, in this conglomerate, are in the form of a coalition and are endeavouring to shape this coalition into a major party. It would be a party in which the activities of all individual parties would be done under the single banner of the Hurriyat.” The move was not aimed at elections, he said.

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