Farooq Declines To Attend Kashmir Meet In Britain

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has declined to attend a conference on Kashmir sponsored by a British MP.

According to sources close to the chief minister, Lord Avebury, a Labour Party MP had personally asked Abdullah to attend the conference scheduled to be held in Britain on October 27. The chief minister, however, promised to send his emissary to the conference, they added.

Lord Avebury had spoken to the chief minister over the telephone and said the meeting was meant to hammer out a possible solution to the Kashmir issue at a conference of Kashmiri leaders from both sides of the Line of Control (LOC) dividing Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Abdullah, who has a busy schedule ahead because of the visits of the President, Prime Minister and chief ministers of northern states in the coming weeks, is said to have excused himself on this ground.

The leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) have also been invited to the conference. The 30-party coalition of separatist groups has, however, still not taken a decision which is expected after its executive council meeting.

A known India-baiter, Lord Avbeury has taken a series of Kashmir initiatives to embrass the Indian government by highlighting alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

It is learnt that leaders from Pakistan-administered Kashmir have responded positively to the invitation of the British MP.