Kashmir separatists write letter to UN secy

An alliance of key Kashmiri separatist leaders has ahead of United Nations ( UN) secretary general Antonio Guterres’s India visit, urged him to persuade New Delhi to engage the Kashmiri representatives and Pakistan in meaningful and resultoriented talks to seek an amicable solution to the Kashmir problem.

In a letter written to Mr Guterres, ‘ Joint Resistance Leadership ( JRL)’ which has on it Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, said, “As you embark on your trip to India, we in the state of Jammu and Kashmir take this opportunity to draw your attention towards the urgency of the need to resolve the dispute over it, which, as you know, Sir, remains on the agenda of the United Nations”

The letter added that India’s refusal to talk is doing unimaginable harm not only to Kashmir, but also to the entire South Asian region, when interconnectedness - culturally, economically and politically( often termed globalization) is the driving force in international relations.

“Hence, we would like to urge you to advocate that New Delhi engages with us in Kashmir and with Pakistan, with whom India’s relations are also deteriorating by the day,” the letter read.

The letter asserted, “We have a right to selfdetermination but Delhi would like us to abdicate that responsibility before they talk.”

The letter, copies of which were released to media on Monday, further said, “To cede to that demand would be to concede before talks, rendering talks unnecessary.”

When asked that since India has repeatedly rejected any third- party intervention on Kashmir what makes the alliance hopeful about the UN secretary general’s India visit, the Mr Farooq told this newspaper, “We’re optimistic because the UN’s Human Rights Commission has in a recent report expressed its concern on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The secretary general too has said that he is concerned over the situation in the state.”