Thaindian News

Srinagar, April 19 (IANS) A delegation from four European Union (EU) countries Monday met Kashmiri separatist leaders, including hardliner Syed Ali Geelani and moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq here.
The EU delegation comprising members from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden met Geelani, the chairman of the breakaway hardline Hurriyat group, at his uptown Hyderpora residence.

“Geelani apprised the EU delegates of the latest situation here and also drew their attention to the growing human rights violations in Kashmir by the Indian security forces,” a spokesman of the group said here.

The delegates - Lisa Valjeto (Finland), Aslak Brunn (Norway), Danny Anan (Denmark) and Andres Sjoberg (Sweden) - reached here Sunday on a three-day visit.

Earlier, the EU members met Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who heads the moderate Hurriyat group in Srinagar.

A spokesman of the Mirwaiz Hurriyat group said that Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told the EU delegates all international disputes could be resolved through a dialogue, but India’s approach to the resolution of the Kashmir problem was “negative”.

The EU delegates also met Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the pro-freedom, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Sunday.

A statement issued by the JKLF said: “JKLF chairman urged the EU countries to prevail on India so that the Kashmir problem was resolved in a peaceful manner.”

“World believes in dialogue. The transformation of the Kashmiri struggle from violence to non-violence must be acknowledged by the international community,” it said.