|| RAMEEZ MAKHDOOMI
Just few weeks back in an interesting development in Cross LoC politics, President of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Khan, had extended invitations to scores of pro-freedom leaders , civil society members but also two mainstream politicians for participation in two-day International round table conference in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad. The topics to be discussed included ‘the Kashmir Dispute, South Asia peace , Hindutva and emergence of Hindu Extremism in India and Proposed Abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A of Indian constitution Impact on Kashmir Dispute’.
Two legislators from J&K assembly, Engineer Rashid of Awami Ittihaad Party and Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI (M) had been invited for the conference. What would follow was a political storm and the result was the cancellation of conference . Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads his faction of Hurriyat Conference refused to attend the conference because the organisers had invited mainstream politicians like Engineer Rashid and CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami for the event. JKLF (H) Chairman Javaid Ahmad Mir while announcing to boycott the conference had stated that by inviting the mainstream leaders the sacrifices have been sidelined. “We (pro-freedom leaders) represent the aspiration and emotions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir besides being ourselves the victims of conflict, the invitation to the people like mainstream leaders defines its futility,” Javaid Mir said. Deliberating on the proposed conference of 20-21 January in Islamabad Pakistan, Islamic Students League Patron Shakeel Ahmad Bakhshi had said that the very agenda of this conference is a joke and at the same time this is a deliberate attempt to club together pro Independence and Pro establishment people on one platform.
He stated – “The proposed conference seems to deliberate on various articles of Indian constitution like 370 and 35(A), and increasing influence of Hindutva in India in grab of discussing Kashmir Issue. Should we see this attempt to legitimize Indian occupation in the area? One fails to understand what is the logic and rationale behind such exercise that too in Islamabad Pakistan, and what message organizers are trying to convey?” Pertinently, earlier Hurriyat (G) had held an emergency meeting at Geelani’s Hyderpora residence under the chair of Agha Hassan Al-Safvi Al- Mosvi in which participants unanimously ruled out the participation in conference for invitation pro-Indian politicians in the event. The spokesman said participation in any such event can have “negative effects on the Kashmir movement”. Ground Feel I during same time was in Pakistan for interaction with civil society of Pakistan.
The pulse among organizers of the conference there was that view from this side of Kashmir needs to be taken into consideration and the event cannot be made into ‘criticism act’ on one another so the better option is to call it off for the time being. But there was also a point of view that the decision to call the leadership outside profreedom amalgam was not a misadventure as all sections of Kashmir need to be taken into account. Even among the intellectual class of Pakistan the view is that Hurriyat Conference as a platform has not been able to expand itself as pirpanjal , Chenab, Jammu, Ladakh etc regions as they have not much presence of the Hurriyat grassroot and even in valley many parties along with Hurriyat share political space so widening the horizons with reference to Kashmir dispute is needed and it is the feel one gets there.
The bottom-line though is that pulls and pressures from pro-freedom polity of Kashmir still work and have desired impact on the policy makers in Pakistan which was evident from the cancellation of conference by the organizers. Although what would be developments of future are hard to predict but they will be determined definitely by the evolving Pakistan countering its own serious challenges on domestic front.
