All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq addressed a gathering at Jama Masjid and discussed the changed situation in Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years and the impact of shifting geopolitical dynamics.
He recalled that when the APHC was formed in 1993, the atmosphere was drastically different, with militancy at its peak. Even then, the APHC advocated for a “peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict”.
“We want the Kashmir issue to be resolved; our stand is still the same,” Mirwaiz stated, adding that military solutions are not the answer.
“The Kashmir issue cannot be resolved through military means but through dialogue,” he said.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the BRICS summit, he reiterated the belief that conflicts should be settled through diplomacy, not warfare.
“We also believe that conflicts are not solved through war; they are further complicated. The idea of dialogue should be carried forward, as we had done in the past,” he stated.
Mirwaiz condemned recent violent incidents, including the killing in Gagangeer and reports of killings in the high-security area of Gulmarg, calling them shocking and disturbing. He urged that these serious matters be investigated, stating, “The loss of lives in Kashmir is an issue of concern for all of us.”
He expressed deep emotion at “finally reuniting” with his colleagues, including Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Gani Lone, and Masroor Ansari, for the first time in over five years. During his address, he honoured the memory of several Hurriyat leaders who passed away during this period, including Syed Ali Geelani, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Musaddiq Adil, and Ashraf Sehrai.
Mirwaiz also lamented the ongoing detention of many Hurriyat leaders and activists, such as Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Asiya Andrabi, Shahidul Islam, Nayeem Khan, Qasim Phaktoo, Masarat Alam, Peer Hafizullah, and Ayaz Akbar.
He concluded by affirming that the Hurriyat remains committed to resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful means and expressed their readiness to engage in dialogue with the current government in New Delhi, just as they did with previous leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, and Pervez Musharraf.
“As long as the people of Kashmir are concerned, we will continue our efforts for a resolution through peaceful means,” he said.
