ISLAMABAD, DEC 25: Saudi Arabia is playing a role in finding a mechanism to moderate `Jehad' (armed crusade) movement in Kashmir, claims Mansoor Ijaz, an investment banker of the United States and self-styled peacemaker between Pakistan and India.In an interview to The News, Ijaz said, ``The Saudi Government is taking an active role in finding a mechanism to moderate the Jehad movement in Kashmir.``It is no accident that (External Affairs Minister) Jaswant Singh will visit Riyadh in early January just a week after militant Kashmiri leaders return from Jeddah and a week before Hurriyat leaders are scheduled to meet Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin and company in Islamabad.''Ijaz, who is in Dubai, said, ``The most visible sign of change in militant thinking was last weekend's gathering of various militant factions, including Salahuddin's in Saudi Arabia.''He said the leaders are ``carrying out formulae for discussion'' with Hurriyat leaders, proposed to be held in mid-January and later on with New Delhi.Ijaz said coordination of Kashmiri militant and political moves was vital to the success of future talks as Kashmiris have learnt that military ceiling on civilian authority (like in Pakistan), does not work in the end.He also said India's stand was ``flexible'' in order to find a solution that addressed each party's fundamental concerns.Ijaz, founder chairman of the US-based Crescent Investment Management, said ``India has genuine potential to become a regional economic power and the energy-rich Persian Gulf wants to provide large amounts of power generation capacity while the West wants to develop its market.''He said Pakistani military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf was also rapidly becoming flexible and ``correctly adapting the Pakistani position to the reality that Islamabad's pursuit of Jehad-based resistance in Kashmir had not worked.Stating that Kashmiri leadership had conveyed to Pakistan that enough is enough, he added ``Gen Musharraf is wisely preparing the people of Pakistan for a policy of maximum flexibility in its negotiating stance.''Ijaz termed the rift between pro-Pakistan and pro-independence leadership in the valley as a common factor when the resolution of an issue was in an embryonic stage. ``The internal rift will disappear once the Hurriyat leadership travels to Pakistan and holds talks with the militant leaders,'' he said.However, he said, ``Pakistan could lose its already precarious moral centre of gravity with the Kashmiris if, during the Hurriyat visit to Islamabad, they are not empowered by Musharraf to act as a party'' rather than being relegated to the role of a mediator.
