New York meeting a futile exercise: Geelani

Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani today termed the meeting between the Premiers of India and Pakistan in New York as a futile diplomatic exercise while the moderate separatists said it was a bold initiative.
"Unless India accepts the reality that a solution to the Kashmir issue is not possible without honouring wishes and aspirations of the people, such meeting whether held in New York or Delhi or Islamabad will yield nothing," Geelani said.
He described the meeting between Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharief in New York as a "futile diplomatic exercise".
"We did not expect a breakthrough from this meeting because unless India fulfills its promises made to Kashmiris and Pakistan demonstrates boldness with regard to Kashmir, such meetings are formalities.

"By such meetings, the leadership of the two countries can achieve applause but there will be no change in the actual situation," Geelani, the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat, said in a statement here.
Describing the meeting between the two Prime Ministers as a "bold initiative", the moderate Hurriyat Conference hoped the dialogue process would not remain restricted to tension along the LoC and terrorism.

"We hope the dialogue process will not be restricted to subsidiary issues like tension along the LoC and terrorism.
"It is imperative to demonstrate political boldness based on ground realities for the success of the dialogue," the amalgam said.

It said there was need to set priorities for talks and include Kashmir on top of the agenda.
"Kashmiris should be included in the dialogue process to gain people's faith in the exercise as bilateral talks between the two countries have failed to achieve any results in the past," the amalgam said after a meeting of its Executive Council chaired by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.