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Hakeem
hits out at Govt. "It is a well known position of the Muslim community in the North East articulated over a period of time that a separate, independent Muslim delegation should participate in the peace negotiations. This stance is in keeping with the aspiration of the Muslim community that their vital interests and concerns should be addressed in both the peace negotiation and the larger peace process. It also accords with the accepted concept of conflict resolution and the active involvement of affected parties and stakeholders," Mr. Hakeem said in the letter. "We do not need to elaborate on the instances of violence and terror, bordering on persecution and the consequent sufferings inflicted on the Muslim community in the North and East by the conflict. Even in the period that followed the signing of the ceasefire agreement, Muslims in the North and the East were specially targeted for sustained violence and their freedom to engage in economic activities and to pursue peaceful lives threatened," he said. An angry Mr. Hakeem told the 'Sunday Times', he would blame the Norwegian ceasefire facilitators for now throwing the ball in the court of the Government. He said "the UPFA government which gave a pledge to the Muslim people that their rights would be met was now breaking that promise". "We have spoken to the Norwegian delegation at length on this issue only to be told that there was nothing that they could do. According to them it is upto the government to decide. So we have informed the government that our support for the forthcoming peace talks would be based on the condition that a separate, independent Muslim delegation is allowed to take part from the outset," Mr. Hakeem said. |
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