Provide safe passage to misguided youth: JK leader

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Apr 28: Veteran Kashmiri leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan today urged India to provide a ''safe passage to thousands of misguided kashmiri youth'' holed up in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir(POK) and objected to separatist parties' boycott of the Round Table convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stating ''nobody has the right to stall the peace process''.

Sardar Qayyum, former President of the POK, who met Congress leader and Water Resources Minister Prof Saifuddin Soz this morning, said the condition of misguided youth, who were lured by militant groups to join their ranks in the late 90s, was pathatic and the government should take a lenient view in the matter.

The Indian government must evolve a strategy to facilitate their safe return, the 84 year old leader, who has dominated politics of POK for over five decades, told newsmen after his hour-long meeting with Prof Soz.

He said that separatist parties like Hurriyat and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front should have attended the Third Round Table Conference convened by Dr Singh here, adding ''if we cannot provide any solution, we can at least back the efforts for finding the solution''.

Sardar Qayyum said he would have loved to attend the Round Table, which made some concrete and positive suggestions. ''I was in the city at the time of the Conference.'' He refuted allegations that terrorist camps are still operating in POK. There is no truth in these reports. President Pervez Musharraf has dismantled all terrorist camps in Pakistan as well as in POK.

Referring to President Musharraf's self rule proposal, he said ''it is a suggestion for consideration.'' He fully supported the peace process and said it was necessary to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.

Prof Soz said the Prime Minister was committted to the peace process. He had taken a number of measures to bring about normalcy and peace in Jammu and Kashmir. The contacts between the people of two parts of the state would definitely give required impetus to the peace process. He said Qayyum Khan could play an important role in the process, aimed to provide relief to the people of the state.

Qayyum Khan is expected to meet the Prime Minister also.

UNI

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