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Hurriyat exposes Musharraf's multiple voices, releases his letter

Hurriyat exposes Musharraf's multiple voices, releases his letter

Author: Our Political Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: July 6, 2001
 
The Hurriyat let the cat out of the bag today, exposing Pervez Musharraf's multiple voices when it comes to Kashmir and Hurriyat on the eve of the forthcoming summit. The turnaround was clear today with the Hurriyat releasing a letter to them by the Pakistan President directing the high commissioner to arrange a meeting between him and the Hurriyat leaders when he comes to Delhi on July 14. Dated July 2, the letter comes in the midst of a barrage of statements from both the president and the high commissioner that they would respect India's sentiments about the Hurriyat and not insist on a meeting.

Today's developments have added to the bitterness here on the eve of the summit. Although the MEA spokesperson, Nirupama Rao, stuck to her guns, saying: "our stand remains unchanged' privately there is considerable disappointment that Pakistan would disregard Indian sentiments before a summit where atmosphere is the key. The letter addressed to the Hurriyat chairman, Abdul Ghani Bhat, said: 'I look forward to an opportunity to meet you and other leaders of APHC during my visit to India. I have asked the Pakistan high commissioner to make necessary arrangements in this regard."

Publicly, however, MEA maintained a stiff upper lip. "As far as we are concerned this is a non-issue at the India-Pakistan summit.... We maintain the Hurriyat has no role to play at the summit and there is nothing that has happened since that necessitates a change in our stance," Ms Rao said.

Despite Pakistan's obvious game-playing on this issue, there have been questions about whether Gen Musharraf would risk playing spoiler just hours before his crucial summit meetings. It would not serve his purpose to have the Indian side dig its heels in before the summit, because, of the two principals, he can least afford to go back with a failure on his hands. Besides, it is general knowledge that the Hurriyat live in Pakistan's pocket anyway. But by a media blitz, he is trying to put the blame on India for the non-meeting, while maintaining his domestic agenda of concentrating on Kashmir.

India had expended considerable diplomatic capital to ensure that the General did not meet the Hurriyat and it appeared to have had results with both the Pakistan president and the high commissioner agreeing to abide by India's reservations, as late as last weekend. In an interview this morning, Musharraf appeared to take a more moderate line, saying 'I think certainly they (Hurriyat) should be allowed to meet me at least and, maybe, at some stage if we make progress on the Kashmir issue, I would request that they be included.' India sees the Hurriyat as a secessionist, pro-Pakistan grouping that takes its orders and cheques from Islamabad, but doesn't really command a sizeable following in Kashmir.

There of course remains the possibility that New Delhi might physically block the meeting on July 14. But this would be a distressingly crude course to follow, says government sources.

Questioned about this possibility, the Hurriyat chairman was quoted as saying, "I do not think that Vajpayee, who is a man of vision, will block the path. - However, Mr Bhat tempered his enthusiasm, observing, "we have reached a stage where we have to take measured steps. We have to take steps which will not vitiate the atmosphere."

The fact is, the atmosphere is already in trouble, as India grapples with the possible fallout if there is indeed a meeting.

The most likely venue, of course is the high commissioner's tea-party on the July 14, an event beyond the purview of the 'official' engagement, where at the very least the guest list is free of Indian objections.

The Indian reservations on the Hurriyat leaders' efforts to politically resurrect themselves by meeting Mr Musharraf at New Delhi was conveyed at the highest level in Islamabad during mutual consultations between the officials of the two countries to prepare the groundwork for the forthcoming summit. But Mr Musharraf's letter and his constant harping on the Hurriyat as an important third party in the conflict has kept the party in centre-stage, despite India's best efforts to undermine their importance. Hurriyat leaders, fearing marginalisation with the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit, had sent letters to both heads on June 22, seeking a meeting with both.
 


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