It appears that for Hurriyat Conference the writing on the wall is becoming more visible. The statements of its Chief, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, both before leaving India and on the Pakistani soil, make one to believe so. He minced no words in saying that militancy in Jammu and Kashmir during the last 16 years has yielded nothing but grave yards, negotiations are the only route to establish peace in the state and that militant organizations should give a serious thought to putting an end to violence in Kashmir. Noble thoughts indeed!
Not that the Hurriyat Conference has been advocating violence all through. It stopped doing so within years of coming into existence in 1989. As the time passed by it started playing the role of over ground leadership of the militant organizations. As such, it had to, thereafter, support peaceful resolution of issues, at least for the world at large. But anybody following developments in Kashmir since then will say that, at heart, the Hurriyat leadership was convinced that violence alone can bring the so called Azadi to Kashmir. Their mentors across the border, Pakistan, launched the proxy war, after it failed to annex Kashmir through open wars, three times. Within the Hurriyat and Pakistan relationship, the tussle between pro- Pak and pro-Azadi elements played a role in shaping the events.
Look at the irony of the situation. Till only a year ago, Pakistan President General Musharraf has been supporting the Geelani led hard core faction in the organization at the cost of the moderate faction led by the Mirwaiz. Pak leadership has been communicating with only Syed Ali shah Geelani on important issues. At one point of time, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq lodged protest with the Pakistani government on being ignored. Today, Mirwaiz is the only reliable person for Pakistan in whom Musharraf has reposed his trust.
Is it a change of heart?
Not the least. Those who believe so are bound to falter. It is a compulsion for both Musharraf and the Mirwaiz.
16 years is a long time for anyone to draw conclusions about the state of affairs. No one will disagree with Mirwaiz when he says that violence in Kashmir has only led to the killing of innocent Kashmiris. No one will withhold his support to the Mirwaiz when he says that Kashmiris are not prepared to sacrifice their youth any more. Why should they after all, looking at the outcome of their violent struggle over the years. That this wisdom has dawned on the people of Kashmir is becoming clear to the Hurriyat Conference also, slowly though. For Mirwaiz, therefore, coming out openly against the militancy is a compulsion, in view of the ground swell in Kashmir.
For General Musharraf, it is no different. He did his best to keep the Kashmir pot boiling by putting it on the front burner, always and invariably. He tried to project himself as the Messiah of the people of Kashmir. He misled the world leaders by giving them the impression that he was fighting a war against militancy in his country and that he was not indulging in cross border terrorism in Kashmir. Unfortunately he could not go far enough. The world knows the game General Musharraf is playing and that is his compulsion that forces him to soften his attitude about militancy in Kashmir.
Look what the US journalist Carlotta Gall of the New York Times has to say after she was attacked in Quetta on December 19 last. She wrote, “there are many signs that Pakistani authorities are encouraging the insurgents, if not sponsoring them”. Gall is not alone in coming to that conclusion. An unnamed Western diplomat told Gall in Afghanistan that the Pakistanis are actively supporting the Taliban and he had seen an intelligence report of a meeting on the Afghan border between a senior Taliban commander and a retired colonel of the Pakistani ISI.
General Musharraf wants the US and the rest of the world to believe that he is one with them in the fight against terrorism. But a former Taliban Commander told the lady journalist that he had been jailed by Pakistani intelligence officials because he refused to go to Afghanistan to fight. For the western and local consumption this was billed as action against the Taliban in Pakistan. Tribal elders told the journalist, that Taliban members who refuse to fight in Afghanistan disappear mysteriously. So, for Gods sake, don’t believe in any change of heart theory. It is a compulsion which neither Musharraf nor the Mirwaiz can ignore.
Even then one would tend to welcome the statements of Mirwaiz, more so when they come from the Pakistani soil. Even if it is out of compulsion, he has finally taken the right path. Had this realization come a bit early, it would have been that much better. But, better late than never.
If Mirwaiz follows this track long enough it will bring some succour to the people of Kashmir. He is due to visit Pakistan Occupied Kashmir shortly. He is also scheduled to meet the Chief of the United Jihad Council Syed Salahuddin. It is his duty to impress upon them the need to follow peaceful negotiations rather than violence if they have any sympathy for the people of Kashmir. If he can succeed in this, he would be doing a great service to his state and the two countries at large. Having taken the first step, all sane elements will back him in this endeavour.
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