APHC leaders meet Pakistani opposition MPs

Islamabad, Jan 24: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) ChiefMirwaiz Umar Farooq has asked Pakistan's government to take theopposition into confidence on initiatives it has taken regarding theKashmir issue.

The English-language newspaper Dawn quoted him as saying this inIslamabad after a meeting with leaders of Pakistani political parties.

He said the aim of his delegation's visit to Islamabad was to meetruling party members as well as opposition leaders and to brief them onthe "ground realities" in Kashmir.

He added that it was the responsibility of the government to takethe Pakistani opposition leaders on board in search for a solution tothe Kashmir question.

He advised the politicians to stop politicising the issue as was being done by the Indian leaders.

The APHC team comprising Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Bilal Lone and ProfGhani Bhatt held separate meetings with the leader of the Opposition inthe National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, leader of the Oppositionin the Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani. They also met a team of the Alliancefor Restoration of Democracy (ARD) led by Raja Zafarul Haq and aMutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) delegation headed by Dr Farooq Sattar.

Talking to Kashmiri leaders, Maulana Fazlur Raman welcomed theirvisit to Pakistan and termed their differences with Sayed Ali Gilani asan internal affair.

He supported any solution to Kashmir issue in which apart fromIndia and Pakistan, aspirations of Kashmiri people were givenpreference.

Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)leaders, RazaRabbani, Sherry Rahman and Envar Baig said proposals floated byPakistani President Musharraf on Kashmir issue do not enjoy the supportof masses as the Parliament was not taken into confidence.

They emphasized the opinion that a lasting solution to the issue was only possible if the whole nation of Pakistan backed it.

The PML (N) leaders including Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ahsan Iqbal,Senator Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, MNA Khwaja Asif and Sayed Zafar AliShah informed the Kashmiri delegation of their belief in finding asettlement wherein masses were involved in the dialogue process.

UNI

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