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Sinha starts ‘peace mission’ by meeting Farooq, Omar

‘Dialogue is the only way out’

Srinagar: The Concerned Citizens Group led by former Bharatiya Janata Party minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday met National Conference (NC) patron Dr Farooq Abdullah, and its working president Omar Abdullah, at their residence here and discussed the prevailing situation in the Kashmir valley.

Sinha said that the team comprising of Kapil Kak AVM (R), Bharat Bhushan, Editor Catch News and Sushobha Barve, head of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation, began their visit with National Conference leaders and attended a civil society programme in Kupwara.

“Our meetings are the continuation of a peace mission that we had started last year,” Sinha said.

He said that the meeting with NC lasted for a hour in which the prevailing situation was discussed. “And we also discussed what the policy and attitude of the government should be for peace in the state,” he said.

The Group then travelled to Kupwara to attend a seminar on ‘Modern Education and Moral Values’ at Government Degree College there.

Sinha said that dialogue is the only way out for resolution of the Kashmir issue and the same has been promised by the PDP and BJP government in their Agenda of Alliance.

The Group had last year visited the valley amid fourth-month long uprising and civilian killings to assess the situation and insist on the BJP-led government in New Delhi to hold dialogue with Hurriyat and other stakeholders in the state for political resolution of the issue.

The Group had met Hurriyat leaders and mainstream political parties and civil society in the valley when they had first arrived in October last year amid agitation.

However, Sinha did not disclose if they are meeting with the Hurriyat leaders. “We are meeting a lot of people,” he said.

“The aim of the visit is to update themselves with the suggestions and the situation and discuss the roadmap ahead. And bring it to the notice of the Centre, State governments and people of the country to hold dialogue for resolving Kashmir issue,” one of the group members Wajahat Habibullah had said.

 

(With inputs from KNS)

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