The Kashmir issue has ‘‘reached the resolution phase’’ and the next year or so will be ‘‘very crucial’’ in solving the problem, according to moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.Farooq, who is on a visit to Pakistan along with eight other Kashmiri leaders, also supported Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal on involving the international community as guarantor in any agreement that would be reached with India to resolve the issue.‘‘Now we have reached the resolution phase and we are talking on different options. The next year or so are very crucial in the context of resolving the Kashmir issue,’’ he said in an interview to Pakistani daily Dawn today.“I think that whenever such a situation will arise, the international community will automatically be involved in the matter, and we think that it should be involved in any such agreement on Kashmir,” he said replying to a question on whether China or the US should be involved as guarantors.“There are three nuclear powers in our neighbourhood—India, Pakistan and China. If India and Pakistan reach an agreement, then China will be interested in that because it also has a role and influence,” Farooq said, adding “The US also desires that Pakistan and India should move ahead in the context of Kashmir.”He said their visit reflected the change in India’s stance on the Kashmir issue and claimed that it had now recognised its “disputed nature.” The delegation, which crossed the LoC last week, held talks with PoK leaders before going to Islamabad where they met Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other Pakistani leaders. —PTI
