Hindustan Times (Patiala)

‘J&K interlocut­or must engage with separatist­s’

- letters@hindustant­imes.com

NEWDELHI: Experts said the Centre’s special representa­tive for Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, must engage in a dialogue with separatist­s in the Valley.

Last month, the government had appointed the former Intelligen­ce Bureau chief as its special representa­tive for a “sustained dialogue” with all stakeholde­rs in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a five-day visit to the state earlier this month, Sharma had met political leaders, student groups, youths and a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits.

“My plea to the interlocut­or will be to reach out to all sections. The point is that he (Sharma) must reach out and I would plead there must be a response (from the Hurriy at leadership), ”Waja hat Habibullah, a former chief informatio­n commission­er and an ex-IAS officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, said at an event on Saturday.

AirVice Marshal (Retd) Kapil Kak asked why the government or the interlocut­or had not opened communicat­ion channels with the separatist­s yet.

“The government should be more sincere. I don’t see a mandate (for the dialogue process), don’t see a timeframe by when there should be a report,” Kak said.

Both Ha bib ulla hand Kak were part of a concerned citizens group led by former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha that visited Kashmir last year in theafterma­th of the violence following the killing of Hizbul Muja hide en terrorist Burhan Wani.

They were speaking at an event organised by Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s Hind Bhartiyam Foundation.

“The problem of Kashmir is intrinsica­lly linked to the idea of India and if we can’ t ensure that a resolution is found for Jammu and Kashmir then the idea of India will be imperiled and irretrieva­bly ch allen ged, ”Khu rs hid said. Habibullah, however, said by appointing yet another interlocut­or the government was “moving in circles”.

 ??  ?? Dineshwar Sharma
Dineshwar Sharma

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