4 December 2000

KASHMIR TALKS LIKELY IN JANUARY

From Rakesh Sharma

NEW DELHI: A major breakthrough on the Kashmir issue is expected in January with the start of a dialogue with Pak-based militants which in turn may pave way for official-level resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, if all goes well, highly-placed sources in the Government said on Monday. There has been no official-level talks between India and Pakistan since after the latter's Kargil aggression.

The sources said that various agencies having done commendable groundwork work which led to the implementation of the unilateral cease-fire by India, the task of doing preparatory work for starting formal negotiations was now being shifted to political leadership.

As part of this exercise the Government is seriously considering the option of pressing into service the leadership of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which sensing the growing disillusionment of the people of Kashmir with Jehadi elements, was now willing to seriously take up the task of restoration of peace in the troubled border state.

One strategy being considered was to allow Hurriyat leaders to travel to Pakistan to hold informal talks at various levels to prepare ground for the start of formal dialogue. Only on Sunday, the Pakistan Government had appealed to India to allow such travel and not to hinder the Hurriyat leaders willing to go to Islamabad.

Apart from meeting key Pakistani officials, the Hurriyat leaders's programme in Pakistan may include a visit to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and meetings with such hardliners as the Muzaffarabad-based Hizbul Mujahiddin chief Syed Salahauddin.

The sources said that this was but one of the modalities being considered by Government to take the peace process further. However, the sources refused to disclose any further details of what might loosely be called the second stage of the peace process initiated by India with the Ramzan cease-fire.

In the third phase, the Government hopes to bring round Salahuddin to travel to India. The idea is that once Salahuddin lands here, formal talks can be held in a meaningful way paving way for return of peace to the Kashmir Valley.

Since the peace progress would have progressed to this stage with active cooperation of Pakistan, India is likely to reciprocate the gesture by sending an official-level delegation to Pakistan. The delegation will comprise senior officials in various Ministries who are dealing with the subject of Kashmir and/or Indo-Pak relations.

These official-level contacts will focus on finding ways to initiate political contacts for widening the dialogue on the Kashmir issue, the sources added.

However, the sources emphasised that all this will take place only if the peace efforts initiated with cease-fire do not get derailed. "There are just too many ifs and buts. But if all goes well, you could see a major breakthrough in January with the resumption of Kashmir talks with the militants; to begin with," the sources stressed.

The sources also emphasised that though it would be a major feather in India's cap if the talks with militants begin in January, restoration of lasting peace in Kashmir was "a long haul" because of the complexity of situation and existence on the ground of numerous conflicting interests. END