Sharma meets delegations in Baramulla
Srinagar: Government of India’s special representative Dineshwar Sharma today reached Baramulla district in north Kashmir to meet various delegations on the second day of his third visit.
Amid tight security, Sharma reached Baramulla to meet people at Dak Bungalow. Sharma met 24 delegations from Baramulla district. The list included many junior leaders from the ruling PDP. It also included party workers from Congress, People’s Conference, and Awami Etihad Party. The delegations include students from Baramulla, Pattan, Sopore and Uri.
Among the minority community, a Sikh delegation led by Janak Singh Sodhi also met Sharma at Dak Bungalow in Baramulla.
“We conveyed him the message of the people that is “Right to Self Determination”. He argued for peace and we conveyed him that New Delhi has to start peace process by announcing revocation of AFSPA, release of all political prisoners and students,” a delegation from Awami Etihad Party delegation led by Ubaid Shams said.
Meanwhile, Bar Association Baramulla and trade bodies in Baramulla boycotted the meeting with the representative.
President Bar Association Baramulla Adul Salam said that they have decided to boycott the meet as “it will not bear any fruit.”
“We don’t want to be part of such an exercise which will fetch no result. It is just a futile exercise,” he said.
Newly appointed President of Baramulla Traders Federation, Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie said they will not meet Sharma because “they don’t have the mandate to talk on the Kashmir issue.”
Sharma is on his third visit to the state after the Centre appointed him as a special representative to initiate dialogue with elected representatives, political parties and residents. Sharma visited the state first in early November.
KV Correspondent
