Srinagar | Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Thursday said that former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s statement was right about ‘Kashmir prefer independence’ to joining Pakistan.
“Musharraf said Kashmiris don’t want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same, but I know that it is not possible,” said Soz to ANI.
Musharraf said Kashmiris don’t want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same but I know that it is not possible: Saifuddin Soz, Congress pic.twitter.com/pmtWIxhN16
— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2018
Veteran Congress leader and Union Minister in UPA 1, Saifuddin Soz in his book ‘Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle’ urged that the central government should first open dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference before moving to mainstream parties to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.
Soz in his book states that primary responsibility to find a solution to Kashmir lies with the Centre, which has to show “a gesture of compassion for creating a situation of relief in the minds of Kashmiris” and initiate a dialogue with the people. “And, if the Union of India has to talk to the people of Kashmir, it will have to decide the grouping with which it will initiate the dialogue. In my opinion, it is the political conglomerate called the Hurriyat. Then, the ball will certainly move to what is broadly known as the ‘mainstream’,” Soz added.
Talking about the “so-called Musharraf-Vajpayee-Manmohan formula” the Congress leader stressed on considering same borders but free movement across the region, autonomy on both the sides and demilitarisation. While quoting few credible sources, he says Musharraf had convinced his top colleagues, both in the army and outside, that it was the only possible solution.
“He (Musharraf) had also convinced his colleagues that the resolutions of the UN on Kashmir had constituted a redundant situation as these meant a tight-jacket for Kashmiris whether they wanted to go with India or to Pakistan. Musharraf had explained that if Kashmiris were given a chance to exercise their free will, they would prefer to be independent. In fact, this assessment of Musharraf seems to be correct even today!” he writes.
The former Congress State chief who joined Congress in 1999 had earlier in April created controversy when he said that the mainstream political parties in Kashmir should understand the stand taken by the separatist groups on the dialogue process. “I wish the mainstream parties in Kashmir realise, in full measure, the genuineness of the stand taken by the Joint Resistance Leadership of the Hurriyat Conference on the issue of a purposeful dialogue process between New Delhi and Kashmir.
Last year while speaking on the death of militant Burhan Wani, Soz said “If it were in my control, I would have keep Burhan Wani alive for a dialogue.”
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