Hizb chief questions Hurriyat's Pak visit

RAWALPINDI: On the eve of the much-hyped visit to Pakistan by a delegation of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has questioned its utility, saying ``the real place (for the Hurriyat leaders) to make a breakthrough is Delhi''''. In his first extensive interview to an Indian newspaper since New Delhi unilaterally announced the Ramzan ceasefire in Kashmir last November, the Hizb commander told The Times of India that he wanted to see tangible proof ``on the ground of the Vajpayee government''s sincerity'''' before he would again consider entering into any kind of political process with New Delhi. Even if the Hurriyat leaders made certain peace proposals that had New Delhi''s blessings, Salahuddin said he would not be inclined to accept these unless they were backed by actual changes in the official policy. ``Hava mein koi cheez qubool nahin karenge (We will not accept things that are in the air). Unless we see on the ground that the process has started, we cannot trust the Indian government.'''' He said the Hurriyat''s planned visit was the result of Pakistan''s positive response to India''s ceasefire. ``There has been a significant de-escalation along the Line of Control and now the Musharraf government has invited the APHC to come here. My wish is that India grant them the necessary travel documents but I don''t see any benefit of them coming here unless there is some breakthrough in India first. I don''t see what they will achieve by talking to us.'''' Salahuddin said he had spoken with the Hurriyat leaders several times to find out whether they had made any breakthrough, but was told they had not yet had any discussion on substantive issues with senior Indian leaders. Asked to spell out the kind of breakthrough he wanted to see, Salahuddin said there were four key elements. First, India has to accept Kashmir''s disputed status and the need to involve Pakistan. Second, it must stop every kind of offensive operations on the ground. Third, it must release all jailed militants. Fourth, Indian troop levels should be drawn down to the 1989 level, i.e. before the militancy began. The Hizb commander said that India has to realise that Pakistan''s involvement is crucial. ``Kashmir is not an internal issue that Advani and Salahuddin can settle by themselves. Don''t forget that Pakistan is in physical occupation of so much territory that is part of Jammu and Kashmir. There is Azad Kashmir, and there are the Northern Areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. How can India say Pakistan need not be involved in talks?'''' Though not rejecting it outright, he expressed scepticism about the proposal to conduct two parallel dialogue tracks, one between India and Pakistan, and the other between India and the Kashmiri militants, as a substitute for tripartite talks. ``Why adopt unnatural methods?'''' he asked. ``If you have three parties, why these illogical zig-zags? What is the fun of it?'''' He said India was making this an issue because it did not want to accept that Kashmir is an ``international dispute''''. In another significant pronouncement, Salahuddin said that a ceasefire was not necessary for a dialogue process to begin. ``If during the Vietnam and Afghanistan conflicts, the warring parties could meet in Geneva or Paris and conduct negotiations even as they continued to fight each other on the ground, why is Kashmir being treated differently?'''' Rather than being pre-occupied about a cease-fire, he said, let India take some concrete political steps first. ``I assure you that we will give a very good response.''''