(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Three political figures of India reacted differently to the Indian government’s plans to reduce troops in Kashmir, it was reported Saturday.
Even as Syed Ali Shah Geelani described the move as mere eyewash, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said that the move would be a positive step if implemented on the ground.
“The Hurriyat Conference welcomes this step, but the need of the hour is that the government of India initiate total troop withdrawal from Kashmir,” the chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, said.
He added, “If troops are pulled out in a phased manner for the time being, it would still be a positive approach.”
The chairman of the JKLF, Muhammad Yasin Malik, said that purported government plan to pull out some troops would be a good step if implemented in reality and entailing real changes in the ground situation.
“Such announcements have been made earlier also, but with no concrete follow-up,” Malik said.
The Jama’at Islami said that the troop cut would be a good step if undertaken to initiate a resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“But if aimed as a part of the peace process, it would be merely traditional with no worthwhile results,” the ameer of the Jama’at, Sheikh Muhammad Hassan said.
The chairman of the Hurriyat’s hardline faction, Syed Ali Shah Geelani said, “the proposed demilitarization is no alternative to our demand of complete withdrawal of Indian armed forces.”
Geelani said such a move won’t change the ground situation in Kashmir as over one million Indian forces were “holding Kashmir against the wishes of the people.”
Meanwhile, key pro-India leader Mehbooba Mufti said this shouldn’t be another cosmetic measure and should make positive impact on the ground so that people feel relieved.
“It should be implemented on ground in letter and spirit so that people heave a sigh of relief. It shouldn’t meet the fate of eight point programme announced by New Delhi. Instead of releasing the youth, hundreds have been detained after the package was announced,” she said.
“On one hand, they talk of forces withdrawal but, on the other, more and more camps are coming up in Kashmir, particularly in north,” Mufti who heads Peoples Democratic Party said.
Mehbooba said the Centre and state government was passing the buck on Armed Forces Special Powers Act and even state government and Jammu and Kashmir police were contradicting each other on the issue.
“The Chief Minister talks about removal of Act but police says it will remain till presence of last militant,” she said.
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