SRINAGAR, AUGUST 7: Last-ditch efforts are being made to convince Hizbul chief Syed Salahudin to extend his August 8 deadline and give unconditional talks a chance. Salahudin had demanded that New Delhi should, by tomorrow, agree to involve Pakistan in the dialogue process.In fact, Hizbul's operational chief Majeed Dar and his commanders - all of whom have gone underground snapping any links with Government officials - are confused regarding their next step given that the Centre has ruled out tripartite talks. It is learnt that Salahudin has asked Dar to buildpressure on the Government and convince them that Pak involvement wasimperative. ``If India agrees to a tripartite dialogue, then we are ready foronly bilateral talks with Delhi at the first stage,'' he said in a recentinterview in Pakistan.However, sources revealed that friction on the deadline issue won't boil over into a split, at least for now. ``Everybody knowsthat the outfit will vanish if there is a breakup. And this process willalso end as nobody will accept the dialogue of a splinter group,'' a Hizbulsympathiser said. ``To go ahead with the dialogue or not, the Hizbulhas to take a collective decision.''What didn't help matters was the earlier statement from New Delhi that talks would held within the ambit of the Constitution. Tempers ran high in the Hizbul camp and Dar called it a ``big joke.''``The Government of India's earlier response had generated hope among thepeople. However, Prime Minister Vajpayee's recent remarks that thedialogue will be within Indian constitution has dashed all hopes that thedark days are numbered,'' Dar said in a statement.Dar claimed that the Hizbul was seriously considering whether to go ahead with ceasefire or not. ``However a final decision will be taken by the Command Council.''However, after Vajpayee made it clear that as in the case of Nagaland, talks would continue even if issues were raised which were outside the Constitution, Shakoor, claiming himself to be Hizbul's Srinagar divisional commander, told a TV channel: ``We are assessing the Prime Minister's clarification.''Shakoor, however, reiterated that the Hizbul will not hold talks within theframework of the Indian Constitution. He too, however, said a decision will be taken by the supreme commander Salahudin in Pakistan.Meanwhile, a Muzaffarabad (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir)-based top Kashmiriseparatist and People's League leader Farooq Rehmani has been involved bythe leadership within separatist circles here who don't want theprocess to come to an end so prematurely tomorrow to talk toSalahudin and get a way out for an extension to his deadline.The Hizbul-nominated-mediator Fazal Haq Qureshi too appealed to Salahudinto extend the deadline so that ceasefire is implemented on the ground andthe dialogue moves ahead. Confusion has engulfed the entire process andnobody can say what turn things will take till 5.30 pm on August 8, whenthe deadline expires.
