Now, it146;s Dulat for UPA too

The Central Government, keen for a breakthrough in the stuck Jammu Kashmir peace process, is trying all its resources to achieve it. And t...

The Central Government, keen for a breakthrough in the stuck Jammu 038; Kashmir peace process, is trying all its resources to achieve it. And the PMO has now sought the help of Kashmir-specialist from the previous NDA government, A.S. Dulat. Dulat spent last three days from October 29-31 in Srinagar, meeting various separatist leaders, including Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

According to sources, Dulat met various separatist leaders including Maulana Abbas Ansari and Abdul Ghani Bhat of the Hurriyat Conference. He is also reported to have met hardliners and separatist leaders of some other groups.

Sources said the Centre has redoubled its efforts in view of the proposed visits by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to the state this month. While the date for the Prime Minister8217;s visit is still to be finalised, Patil is scheduled for a three-day, starting November 6.

The Home Minister has even gone on record, saying that he wanted to meet the Hurriyat leaders, 8216;8216;if it is convenient for them8217;8217;. As NDA8217;s pointsman on Kashmir, Dulat was instrumental in getting 2000 ceasefire with Majid Dar faction of Hizbul Mujahideen. He was also in regular touch with other separatist leaders, who preferred to talk to him.

Therefore, unable to ignore Dulat8217;s contacts and comfort level with Kashmiri separatists 8212; specially the Hizbul Mujahideen 8212; the Prime Minister8217;s Office has requested him to talk to them again and try getting them on the dialogue table.

Working behind the scenes, Dulat, former RAW chief, has become the third person enlisted by the government to revive the peace process and get the separatist leaders on the dialogue table. As Advisor J-K to then prime minister A.B. Vajpayee, Dulat was removed by the UPA government after it took charge.

The Hurriyat had had two rounds of dialogue with then deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani and the third was scheduled for June this year, after Dulat8217;s efforts. But it never happened with the new government in place, and the talks have been deadlocked since. Textile Secretary Wajahat Habibullah had been sent to Kashmir last month for the same purpose. The official interlocutor N.N. Vohra also has apparently been in touch with the various separatists.