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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mirwaiz seeks China’s help to resolve Kashmir dispute
* APHC chairman meets Chinese Foreign Affairs director in Geneva
* Lone denies meeting an attempt at ‘parallel diplomacy’LAHORE: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has asked Beijing to play its important role in Indo-Pakistan relations and for resolving the Kashmir conflict, India’s Times Now channel reported on Tuesday.
Making first contact with the Chinese government, the APHC chairman made these comments during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Affairs Director Ying Gang in Geneva where the Hurriyat leader was attending the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Mirwaiz will soon visit China at the invitation of the Han Foundation, a non-government organisation. After the meeting – which is sure to be seen as a snub to the Indian government – he said the Chinese had expressed support for a resolution of the Kashmir conflict in line with the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
During the meeting, the Kashmiri leader urged China to initiate academic research projects on Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) in Chinese universities to create awareness about the decades-old issue.
Parallel diplomacy: Separately in Srinagar, senior Hurriyat leader Bilal Lone denied that the Mirwaiz-Gang meeting was an attempt at ‘parallel diplomacy’. “It may sound unnecessary for the Indian government but for Kashmiris, it is a welcome sign,” he told the channel.
“If China plays its part, it’s good. Bilaterally, Pakistan and India cannot be main players in the conflict,” Lone said, adding that the Kashmiris were the main party and they must be taken on board on any talks on the resolution of the IHK dispute.
Separately, talking to various delegations in London, the APHC chairman emphasised that a stable Pakistan was imperative for the success of the Kashmiris’ struggle for the right to self-determination.
He said Pakistan has always been a strong supporter of the Kashmir cause and the people of Kashmir are confident that Islamabad would continue extending diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmir movement, the Kashmir Media Service reported.
The APHC Chairman maintained that the international community needed to play an effective role in resolving the Kashmir dispute. daily times monitor/app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk