SRINAGAR- All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that India was attempting to sideline the Kashmiris and Hurriyet leadership from the dialogue process with Pakistan.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a media interview in Srinagar said, “We will formulate a comprehensive strategy to counter India’s changing policy on Kashmir.” He said that he had asked the APHC constituents to come up with suggestions within a week to counter the latest move of India.

Mirwaiz said that after discussing the suggestions, the APHC would be in a position to formulate a fresh strategy on the dispute. “It is our responsibility to seek inclusion of Kashmiris as primary party to the Kashmir dispute,” he added.

The APHC Chairman said that the BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had initiated talks with Hurriyet leadership. “It is ironic that the BJP-led government was now trying to sideline the Kashmiris by saying it is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. When Narendra Modi had invited Pakistan Prime Minister, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, for his oath-taking ceremony, the move had raised high hopes among the Kashmiris. But India took a U-turn when Kashmiri Hurriyet leaders met with Pakistan High Commissioner,” he said.

The Mirwaiz said that it was an attempt to deny the Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination which was promised by India under the UN resolutions on Kashmir.