Valley MLA criticizes New Delhi for denying visa to Musharraf

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An independent member of legislative assembly (MLA) from north Kashmir’s Langate constituency, Abdul Rasheed, on Sunday urged both the mainstream and separatist political parties to identify a common ground for the resolution of Kashmir issue and criticized New Delhi for denying visa to former Paksitan president Pervez Musharraf.

“Both sides (mainstream and separatists) claim to be fighting for the people but both are adding to the miseries of the common man through their negative politics,” said Rasheed, widely known as Engineer Rashid, in his address in Langate town. This was his first public rally in the last six months that witnessed turmoil leaving 112 people dead.

The MLA said denying a visa to Musharraf was a move that goes against the spirit of dialogue and peace process. “It was Musharraf only who not only talked about ‘out of the box solution’ but also floated the path-breaking ‘four-point formula’ to pave way for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. His approach as Pakistan president was reconciliatory and denying him visa goes against the diplomatic ethics,” he observed.

While expressed deep anguish over the way separatists were meeting interlocutors and other civil society delegations from Delhi, Rashid said “it’s a shame that separatists are meeting separately delegations from Delhi. Why can’t they together meet with them and put forth their viewpoint jointly?”.

Referring to the burning of a school bus in Srinagar, Rasheed said “the government and separatists have taken lead in condemning it, then who is behind this act?”

Rasheed took a jibe at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for rewarding cops behind the killing of three youth in Qamarwari recently. “In an TV interview he (Omar Abdullah) pledged to re-build his image brick by brick. By rewarding and giving out-of-turn promotions to policemen who killed three youth in Qamarwari, the CM has acted contrary to his pledge,” said Abdullah.

“The CM should give-up this brutal culture of rewarding for killing human beings,” said Rashid, who surrendered his security and other privileges five months ago.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Valley-MLA-criticizes-New-Delhi-for-denying-visa-to-Musharraf/Article1-634714.aspx