Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Villas Paswan, who is on a visit to Srinagar at the head of a delegation of political leaders, parliamentarians and civil society representatives to meet various sections of Kashmiri society with a view to getting a firsthand assessment of the current situation in the Valley, said on Saturday that the Centre should respond to the five-point proposal put forward by separatist leader and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani towards addressing the issue of Kashmir.
“I think the government of India should not have any objection in accepting four out of five points put forth by Geelani sahib to resolve Kashmir,” Mr Paswan told reporters after meeting the octogenarian separatist leader at his residence here. “While there might be difficulties for the government over the dispute part, the other four suggestions can be implemented for starting talks,” he said. Mr Geelani’s five-point formula had asked the Centre to acknowledge Kashmir was an “international dispute.”
The delegation has during the past two days met a number of political leaders and members of Kashmiri society, including the parents of Tufail Ahmed Mattoo, a teenage student whose killing in police action in June this year sparked off widespread unrest in the Valley which claimed more than 100 lives of civilian protesters in security forces’ firings and other actions.
The delegation will over the next two months continue to interact with the people in Jammu and Kashmir before finalising a report that will also include recommendations for building trust and confidence in the state, a spokesperson said.
Speaking on the terms of reference for the delegation, the spokesperson said that it will discuss all issues for building justice and peace in Kashmir, meet all sections of civil and political society, pay special attention to the plight of orphans, youth in the Valley.