Srinagar, June 24: The moderate Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said the complex issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved within the constitutions of India and Pakistan and asked Indian and Pakistani prime ministers to discuss the Kashmir issue.
“We realize that Kashmir is a complex issue which cannot be resolved within the constitutions of India and Pakistan, but if an out of the box solution is to be found, or a solution in accordance with the UN resolutions is not possible, then both the countries will have to start a dialogue process with Kashmiris, and discuss proposal and solutions,” Mirwaiz said while addressing a Friday gathering at historic Jamia Masjid here.
Welcoming the India-Pakistan foreign secretary level talks he said the talks should be elevated to the Prime Minister’s level, he said, “It is a stark reality that the Kashmir issue is the biggest hurdle in the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. There is a need to elevate the dialogue process from the current Foreign Ministerial level to Prime Ministerial level to resolve the Kashmir issue”.
Stressing the need for involvement of Kashmiris in the dialogue process, he said after initiating the Prime Ministerial level dialogue, Kashmiris should be involved at a later stage to seek a peaceful and everlasting solution to the issue acceptable to the concerned parties.
Mirwaiz said if the leadership of the two countries want betterment of their people, they should give up traditional rigidity and shortsightedness and initiate necessary and positive steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. “The solution to the Kashmir issue is imperative for peace, development and prosperity in the entire sub-continent,” he said.
