Jammu: Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative for Kashmir, Friday said all Indian citizens in Jammu and Kashmir were “stakeholders” in the dialogue process and that he would keep coming to the state in the future.
Sharma, who arrived here Thursday evening on the second leg of his visit to J&K, said the Centre had given him the task to restore peace in Kashmir and find some solution.
Asked whether he considered the Hurriyat Conference a stakeholder in the dialogue process, he said, “All Indian citizens in Jammu and Kashmir are stakeholders.”
Sharma, who was appointed the Centre’s special representative last month for consultations with various groups and political parties, called on state governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here last night and discussed the ways to reach out to the stakeholders, officials said. On the issue of a meeting with Hurriyat leaders, he said, “Let us see.”
Asked further, the former Intelligence Bureau chief said, “I am going to visit Jammu and Kashmir again and again.” Replying to a question, he said his visit to the state had been “successful”.
He had arrived here Thursday this week after spending four days in the Valley, during which he met various delegations and political leaders which included former chief minister Omar Abdullah, state Congress chief G A Mir and CPM leaders among others.
Representatives of the Bar Association of Jammu, who met him today, said they raised the issue alleged threat to the state due to the presence of Rohingya Muslims.
Other delegations, which called on him, included those from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Jammu (CCIJ) and the West Pakistan refugees.
Meanwhile, Panun Kashmir, an organisation representing displaced Kashmiri Pandits, boycotted a meeting with Sharma, claiming that the invitation to them was extended in a “disrespectful manner”.
The delegation of refugees, headed by West Pakistani Refugees Front president Labha Ram Gandhi, said Sharma was informed about the discrimination meted out to them, despite having lived in the state for 70 years.
The CCIJ delegation, led by its president Rakesh Gupta, said they referred to issues of unemployment and development. PDP leaders from the Jammu region and those from the JK Panthers Party also called on him.
He met a BJP delegation, led by the party’s state president Sat Sharma, here yesterday. The Centre’s special representative is scheduled to return to the national capital tomorrow.
