Package meant to provide relief to Jammu and Kashmir govt: Moderate Hurriyat

Responding to Centre's latest initiative on Kashmir, the moderate Hurriyat Conference today said it was an attempt to provide relief to an embattled Omar Abdullah government and reflected lack of willingness to meet political aspirations of people of the state.

"The measures announced (by the Centre) do not convey much promise. These are administrative in nature to provide relief to the beleaguered state government," said a spokesperson of the amalgam headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

The package aimed at deliberately shifting focus from the actual issue of providing compensation and concessions to the people, he said.

Despite an all-party delegation assessing seriousness of the situation during its recent visit to Kashmir, the 8-point formula "reflects a lack of willingness to understand and address the basic issue. This is disappointing", the spokesperson said

The hardline faction of the Hurriyat, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had already rejected the package describing it as a "mere eye-wash".

The moderate Hurriyat framed its response after Mirwaiz, who is under house arrest, held a tele-conference with Executive members.

The amalgam could not hold meetings of its Executive Council and the General Council as decided earlier due to the house arrest of Mirwaiz and a strict curfew in the city, the spokesperson said.

The Union government unveiled a package of measures on Saturday to de-escalate the tense situation in the valley.