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Pakistan's Kashmir panel plans to send delegation to India

K J M Varma in Islamabad

In the midst of a crackdown against Islamist militant groups active in Kashmir, Pakistan on Wednesday stepped up its efforts to bring back the Kashmir issue to the fore by announcing that the National Committee on Kashmir would send a team to India to discuss the issue.

The head of the committee, and former prime minister and president of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Sardar Qayyum Khan, said he would soon approach the Indian authorities to explore the possibility of sending a team on behalf of the committee to India, besides establishing contacts with Hurriyat leaders.

He, however, was not sure whether New Delhi would agree to the proposal of the committee to travel to India, but said was 'optimistic due to changed circumstances'.

Khan said the first and foremost goal of the committee is to de-escalate the current tension between India and Pakistan.

He released a letter written to US Secretary of State Colin Powell asking him to step up efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"While we appreciate your efforts for de-escalating tension between India and Pakistan and promote resumption of dialogue between the two nuclear armed neighbours, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the issue of peace and security for the one-fifth of humanity, which resides in South Asia is inextricably linked with the root cause of all tensions, the unresolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. I hope the US government would take necessary and urgent measures to de-escalate the tension, resume dialogue between Pakistan and India and resolve Kashmir question in a just and peaceful manner in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people," Qayyum said in his letter.

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