The Central Government’s special representative on Jammu & Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, on Wednesday stepped out of the guest house to meet some top mainstream political leaders including former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. On the conclusion of his maiden stay in Srinagar he interacted with 65 delegations to understand the nuances of Kashmir issue. Most of the delegations were comprised apolitical entities including youngsters and sportsmen.
Sharma, who would fly to Jammu on the second leg of his 5-day tour, hoped that separatist Hurriyat Conference leadership would interact with him. After emerging from a meeting with legislator Hakim Yasin and former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir at Marxist leader MY Tarigami’s residence, Dharma told reporters that he would try his best to meet Hurriyat.
He said the meeting with different delegations was very good. “I wish peace returns and political solution also comes,” he said.
Earlier, Sharma called upon Omar Abdullah at his residence, his first meeting outside the confines of fortified Hari Niwas Palace, a state-run guest house. “Mr Dineshwar Sharma & I met at my residence in Srinagar this morning. We discussed the prevailing situation in the state as also steps that can be taken to make his visits to the state more meaningful,” Omar tweeted after the meeting.
Omar expressed hope that Sharma would broaden his ambit to hold talks to resolve the Kashmir issue. “Staying in a guesthouse and waiting for the people to come to meet him will not work,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The former CM said Sharma had sent him a message for a meeting and maintained that his party National Conference did not get a formal invitation. Sharma also met state Congress chief GA Mir, ruling Peoples Democratic Party vice president Sartaj Madni and independent legislator Sheikh Rashid.
“I made it clear to Sharma that without including Pakistan and militant leadership in the talks nothing can be achieved,” Rashid said.
“It is not a favour to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, but a legitimate concern and duty of the Government of India to continue the dialogue process,” MY Tarigami said.
He said that more the dialogue process is delayed, more problems it will create for the people and compound them.
“Dialogue is the only option but needs to be sustainable and institutionalised. We stressed that the statements from the BJP functionaries impacted the process. Our point of view was to continue dialogue for peace. It should not be peace followed by dialogue,” he said.
The ruling PDP in a statement said that Madni stressed upon Sharma that the exercise undertaken by him would culminate into meaningful and tangible outcome, despite difficulties.
Madni reminded the interlocutor about the trust deficit which impedes any good initiative for peace and resolution. He desired that centre should do everything possible to gain the confidence of the people and stake-holders in order to sustain the process of dialogue till every stake holder is willingly engaged, the statement said.