Kashmir parties place views before delegation that is visiting the Kashmir Valley

Srinagar : Placing their points before the all-party delegation that is visiting the Kashmir Valley to evolve a solution to end the present cycle of violence, political parties of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday urged the Centre to go for a deeper understanding of the problems of the state and address them accordingly.

While the ruling National Conference (NC) reiterated its demand for restoration of autonomy, Opposition party People?s Democratic Party (PDP) called for ?out-of-the-box? thinking with regards to J&K.

Union Home minister P Chidambaram, who is heading the all-party team on the two-day visit, said upon arrival that he was optimistic of a solution to the crisis that was acceptable to all sides.

?We hope and believe that the honour, dignity and future (of Kashmiris) are secure as part of India,” he said.

State minister Abdul Rahim Rather, who led the NC delegation said, ?We have proposed autonomy (restoration of autonomy) as the solution to the Kashmir issue. It is nothing new as it is contained in the instrument of accession.?

He claimed that over the year the autonomy of J&K was ?eroded unconstitutionally?, which has led to the present discontent.

Rather also pledged the NC?s support to any political solution to the Kashmir issue, while demanding the withdrawal of the AFSPA.

?In the 15 minutes time we were given, we have told the delegation that they have to come out of the fixation and come up with out of the box solutions to resolve the Kashmir issue. All suggestions from the mainstream or separatist quarters should be considered,” PDP leader Nizamuddin Bhatt said, after meeting the all-party team.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who had attended the all-party meet at New Delhi last week, chose to stay away from the visiting delegation and instead sent a party team.

Bhatt blamed two factors for the present crisis ? the long pending Kashmir dispute and immediate ?mishandling? of the situation by the state government.

?The Centre will have to stake steps for wriggling the people of the Valley from the siege and stop the killing so that they feel that they are living in a truly democratic system,? he said, urging for confidence-building measures, like repeal of the AFSPA.

JK Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz urged the all-party team for a ?qualitatively different? response and said ?they will have to cross the line and reach out to the civil society in Kashmir?.

Stressing that dialogue was the only way forward, he also emphasized on maintaining the integrity of the three regions of the state.

Soz also pressed for restoration of civil liberties of people in the state in full measure and with dignity.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik, whose outfit wants independence from both India and Pakistan, had rejected the invitation to attend the delegation.

Another separatist leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, who remained away from the all-party delegation, said, “We have seen that only when a major crisis erupts, there are visible efforts to engage and understand our aspirations. As soon as immediate crisis subsides, political complacency gets restored.?

“We choose not to meet your delegation and will send a joint memorandum to all. We have reiterated our four points for a peace process to begin. We propose talks between parliamentary committees of India and Pakistan,” he added.

Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has earlier called the visit an “eye-wash” and refused to meet the delegation.

However, the all party delegation wants to call on Geelani, despite the latter rejecting invitations for talks, political observers here said.

The all party delegation, headed by Chidambaram and comprising representatives from the mainstream political parties, arrived here Monday to assess the situation in Kashmir where 105 people died in violence since June 11.

The delegation will meet the cross section of people and various political parties in Srinagar during its two-day visit before submitting its recommendation to the Centre for consideration by the Cabinet committee.

The decision to send a delegation, for the first time in two decades, was taken at an all-party meeting here last week, in which the Prime Minister stressed on feedback from the Kashmir people to chalk out strategy to tackle the unrest in the valley.