To meet some mainstream parties, including Congress, today

On the second day of his Kashmir visit, Dineshwar Sharma, the government of India’s “special representative” for a dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, met different apolitical and lesser-known groups and organisations here, even as major trade bodies stayed away from interacting with him. The interlocutor however is expected to hold talks with some mainstream parties here on Wednesday.

A source told Greater Kashmir that around 37 delegations comprising over 100 persons met Sharma on Tuesday. The delegations included Wattan Parast Front, J&K Media Association, Global Youth Foundation, Tehreek-i-Insaf, Working Women’s Association (J&K SEWAA), J&K Dard-Shina Organisation, Cross-LoC Traders’ Union, All J&K Panchayat Conference, Child Protection Committee, Muslim Morcha (BJP), Contractual Employees’ Forum (NSSO), Auto-rickshaw Drivers Association, Flood-hit Shopkeepers of 216 Transit Camp, J&K Youth Alliance, Political Migrants Front, Help and Peace Society (NGO), Kashmir Society, Bharatiya Modi Army, Shiv Sena Hindustan, Ex-Army Association, Lok Janshakti (Yuva Morcha) and Voice of Youth from Sonawari, Bandipora.

A delegation led by ruling People’s Democratic Party’s youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra also met the interlocutor.

Farooq Ahmad Khan, who led a four-member delegation of the ‘Human Welfare Organisation’ to meet the interlocutor, said that he is working for the welfare and rehabilitation of released militants. “During our meeting with Sharma, we demanded rehabilitation of the released militants. We also drew his attention towards the problems faced by us in getting the police verifications,” he said.

On Monday, different groups like Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar and Bakerwal Conference, representatives of Fruit and Saffron Growers Association, youth from border areas, youth from Kupwara and youth from technical institutions met the interlocutor after he arrived here.

Kashmir’s prominent trade bodies and business organisations have already decided not to hold talks with Sharma.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, president of Kashmir chapter of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman, J&K Hoteliers Club, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya said that they have decided not to meet the interlocutor. “We were invited to meet him (Sharma) but we have decided not to go. Ours is a business organisation. It is the mandate of the political leadership to decide on the political matters,” he said.

Meanwhile, the interlocutor would meet mainstream parties here on Wednesday, but there is uncertainty over participation of National Conference in the talks.

“We have not yet decided on the matter,” senior National Conference leader Ali Muhammad Sagar said.

J&K Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir confirmed that they are meeting the interlocutor on Wednesday afternoon. “If we stay away from the talks, it would provide an opportunity to the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to accuse us of sabotaging the resolution of Kashmir issue,” he said, adding that previous such initiatives were left half-way.

State secretary of CPI (M) Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami also confirmed his meeting with the interlocutor. “I am meeting the interlocutor along with Hakim Muhammad Yasin (chairman PDF) and Ghulam Hassan Mir (chairman DPN).The meeting would take place at my residence at 11 am,” he said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the All Party Sikh Coordination Committee and Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti were also among groups which met the interlocutor.