Pick up the gun if you don’t want talks — Hizbul to Hurriyat

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 13: The Hizbul Mujahideen today dared the All Party Hurriyat Conference leaders to join the armed struggle if militancy i...

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 13: The Hizbul Mujahideen today dared the All Party Hurriyat Conference leaders to join the armed struggle if militancy is the only solution to the Kashmir problem. The Hizbul also warned the Hurriyat to keep off from the movement as they have failed to reach any consensus.

In its first statement after the withdrawal of ceasefire, Hizbul Mujahideentoday strongly criticised the Hurriyat leadership for not arriving ata consensus and for issuing divergent statements on the ceasefire.

Attacking the Hurriyat’s negative stand on the Hizbul ceasefire, it said if the Hurriyat leaders believe that the armed struggle is the only solution tothe Kashmir dispute, they should join militancy instead of issuing pressstatements.

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Hope for peace glimmered again when the Hizbul’s official interlocutor Fazal Haq Qureshi told the Doordarshan today that “the process of talks has been delayed not derailed.” “The process (talks) has been delayed possibly but it has to come again… And this time it will probably come with a greater weight and force,” Qureshi said.

He added: “If the trend of violence in the Valley were to continue at the present rate, then there would only be graveyards and nothing else.” PTI quoted Qureshi as saying: “If the militants continued to be backed by Pakistan, there would only be death and destruction in the Valley.”

In a statement issued in the Valley today, the Hizbul said that since the Hurriyat leaders criticised the ceasefire offer, they should inform the people of Kashmir about their programme to settle the issue.

The spokesman said: “Issuing statements and shedding crocodile tears and visiting the families of martyrs will not solve the Kashmir issue.”“If our elders (Hurriyat leaders) believe that only an armed struggle willliberate Kashmir from the occupation and an honourable solution ispossible through militancy, then they should come in the forefront andcommand the struggle. If not, they should at least send their wardsto join militancy,” the Hizbul statement said.

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The Hurriyat came under attack for its doublespeak on the ceasefire. “These leaders changed their stance thrice, during the two-week-longceasefire… Then the people of Jammu and Kashmmir have the right to ask these leaders to muster courage and keep off from the leadership of the freedom movement,” the statement said.

The statement also asked the people not to celebrate the Independence Day onAugust 15. “ Kashmiris have never been allowed to live freely. We have nofreedom and celebrating the freedom of others is a shame.”