Kashmir Committee members meet Valley separatists

A four member panel of Kashmir Committee on Thursday met the hard-line separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his uptown residence in Srinagar and had two hour-long deliberations with him.

The panel headed by prominent Supreme Court lawyer Ram Jethmalani drove to Geelani's residence immediately after their arrival in Srinagar.

After the meeting Geelani said that he had no objection meeting the KC members, Ram Jethmalani, V K Grover, former Indian foreign secretary, Madhu Kishwar, woman rights activist, and a local member of the committee Waheed-ur-Rehman as 'it was his stand not to meet people with government affiliation.'

Geelani said he was for 'peace between India and Pakistan' adding that the 'arms race between the two neighbouring countries was because of the dispute over Kashmir'. "We do not want any war between the two countries', he added.

Geelani said, "We are ready to meet people who do not have any government affiliation. The Indian press including the electronic media do not inform the people of India properly about the situation in Kashmir."

While talking to mediapersons, Jethmalani said, "I am happy Geelani Sahib has asserted the need for peace. Solution will have to come through dialogue."

He said, "The hospitality shown by Geelani today proves it is not difficult to find a permanent solution to the problem."

The Kashmir committee was formed in 2002 to reach out to the separatists but it had been inactive for many years now.

It was revived recently by Jethmalani who announced he would meet the separatist leaders during his Kashmir visit.

The separatists have, however, boycotted the central interlocutors.

The KC members also met the chairman of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq on Thursday evening.

The pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik has, however, announced he would boycott the KC panel which he claimed has always played a 'role detrimental to the interests of the Kashmiri people'.

'I support Baba Ramdev's campaign'

Meanwhile, Ram Jethmalani on Thursday also announced his support to Baba Ramdev maintaining that 'the entire country should rally behind him'.

"I am his follower and I support his cause. The entire country must rally behind him as he is fighting for restoration of country's stolen property."