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Kashmiri separatist leader reacts sharply on panel's autonomy proposal | The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq has reacted sharply to recommendations made by a high level committee favouring autonomy for the state. Talking to reporters here on Friday, Farooq said their
agenda is "freedom, not autonomy". "The agenda of Hurriyat has never been autonomy,
our agenda is freedom so we didn't want to give any comment on it," he added.
"We accept only that solution in which Pakistan, India and people of Kashmir are
involved... Any solution between two parties, either between India and Pakistan
or between Pakistan and Kashmiri people, will not be accepted," he said. The Working
Group, which submitted its report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday,
is reported to have recommended autonomy for Kashmir. Kashmir was given autonomous
powers in all sectors excluding defence, communication and foreign affairs but
over the years, the powers had diminished. But the PM's group, headed by former
Supreme Court judge S. Saghir Ahmad, is reported to favour restoring autonomy
to the Himalayan region. Kashmir's ruling National Conference has been championing
for autonomy since 2000 when it moved a resolution to support the demand. The
panel is also reported to have undertaken a review of Article 370 of the Indian
Constitution granting Special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 specifies
that except for Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications (matters specified
in the instrument of accession), the Parliament needs the state government's concurrence
for applying all other laws. Thus the state's residents live under a separate
set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and
fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. |
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