Srinagar: Noted political analyst and track II diplomat O P Shah on his return from Pakistan visited Srinagar and held extensive meetings with Resistance leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muslim Conference chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and political leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah and M Y Tarigami to know their response on the desire of Pakistan’s civil society for dialogue over Kashmir and good relations between India and Pakistan.
Talking to KNS, Shah said, “All stakeholders have to introspect and create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue over Kashmir as this is my belief after knowing the views of top political leaders and civil society in Pakistan including former foreign minister Khursheed Kasoori, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan, another former foreign minister Shah Mohammad Qureshi, some sitting and retired judges of Pakistan and senior journalists of that country.”
He said people of all shades in Pakistan with whom he held several meetings showed their deep interest in establishing friendly relations with India and resolution of all issues concerning peace and stability through dialogue.
Replying to a question Shah said “both national and local media have to act as a bridge for rebuilding trust and creating a conducive atmosphere for meaningful dialogue over Kashmir.”
Admitting that some Indian TV channels and news papers are portraying an unhealthy picture about the happenings in Kashmir that damages the prospectus of peace and working of democratic institutions in the State, Shah said the media has to show responsibility while portraying the real picture of Kashmir to disallow any negative propaganda on Kashmir situation.
Confirming that he held extensive meetings with Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who, he said, also endorsed the view that dialogue is the only way forward but they said the rigidity of Government of India has been a hurdle in creating a conducive atmosphere for dialogue.
Geelani, he said, made a point that several rounds of dialogue on Kashmir initiated by India and Pakistan didn’t bear fruits due to the non seriousness and insensitivity shown by the Government of India.
He also confirmed his meetings with National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, NC Provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior PDP leaders Nizam-u-Din Bhat and Dr Mehboob Beg and CPI(M) secretary M Y Tarigami.
He favoured increase in the intensity of people to people contacts between the people of the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir and the people of India and Pakistan for peace and regional stability in the Indian sub continent and hinted the possibility of handing over a report on the feedback he received in Pakistan and Kashmir to the incumbent Modi Government in Delhi.
“Though I am not in government but will surely play a constructive role for bridging the gaps between India and Pakistan and better their relations for restoring peace and stability in Indian sub continent.
Earlier, it was reported that India and Pakistan have revived the Neemrana Dialogue, which is one of the oldest Track-II initiatives between the two countries. The dialogue, which has Western origins and whose first meeting was held in Neemrana Fort in Rajasthan, India, in October 1991 with the United States Information Service sponsorship.
(With inputs from KNS)
