"Making The Borders Irrelevant Not A Solution"

'Pakistan definitely wants a breakthrough in talks, yet the Indian mindset has not changed so far. They still believe J&K is an integral part of India, a notion not at all acceptable to us.'

Updated on: 7 February 2024 7:00 pm

With India and Pakistan playing footsie, and Islamabad apparently withdrawing its support to militants, Hizbul Mujahideen supremo commander Syed Salahuddin faces the toughest challenge of his life: should he drop the gun and return to his earlier avatar of Yusuf Shah? Before militancy rocked Kashmir, Salahuddin was Yusuf Shah. In 1990, the Jamaat-e-Islami of J&K appointed him as the patron-in-chief of Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM). That was the year the Jamaat adopted the HuM as its armed wing. Yusuf Shah took over the jehadi name of Pir Syed Salahuddin and, after bringing the Jamaat and HuM closer, crossed over to Azad Kashmir, or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in October 1990.

Amir Mir spoke to Salahuddin, who was in Muzaffarabad a day before the Hurriyat leaders reached there. Excerpts from the interview:

With Pakistan apparently withdrawing its support to militants, there are reports that Syed Salahuddin wants to become Yusuf Shah again. Is it true that you want to convert HuM into a political party?

Is it true that the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Kashmir have decided to send you back to politics as they want you to take over the mantle of Syed Ali Geelani, who's in his mid-70s and ailing?

Do you think the ongoing peace talks between India and Pakistan will help resolve the Kashmir dispute?

Do you think making the borders irrelevant, as Musharraf has suggested, could be a solution to the Kashmir dispute?

In the changing scenario, how do you see the future of militancy in Kashmir?

If Pakistan asks you to announce a ceasefire in J&K for the sake of the ongoing peace dialogue between India and Pakistan, what would be your reaction?

Have you been asked by Pakistan to cease militant operations in the Valley for the time being and restrict your activities in Pakistan, too?

Wasn't your support for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service an attempt to appear less militant although the United Jehad Council had opposed the move in a meeting in March, 2005. What is your latest stand on the bus service?

Do you think the recent move by the Pakistan government to invite Kashmiri leaders from across the border to Pakistan would help resolve the Kashmir dispute?
According to the Hurriyat's constitution, its leaders cannot talk to India. Some of them did initiate bilateral talks with Advani two years ago; it led to a split in the Hurriyat. Geelani believes in tripartite talks on the Kashmir issue. I'll suggest to Umar Farooq to not initiate bilateral talks with India. I respect him and Yasin Malik. But I'd like to see them standing with Geelani on one platform. India did not permit Geelani to proceed to Saudi Arabia for Haj.Yet, they allowed him to go to Muzaffarabad. Therefore, he had doubts in his mind and decided to stay back. In my personal opinion, only time will prove whether Geelani was right in his stance.