Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who has been put under house arrest, on Friday urged the leadership of India and Pakistan to initiate a “meaningful” and “result-oriented” dialogue to resolve the protracted Kashmir issue “once for all”.

Addressing an Eid congregation over phone from his residence at Eidgah in downtown, he said there was no option for both India and Pakistan but to address the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

The Mirwaiz, who was put under house arrest last night as a precautionary step, wanted the “leadership of both India and Pakistan to initiate a meaningful and result-oriented process to resolve this once and for all and involve the people of the state in this process,” a statement issued by the Hurriyat said.

Beef ban

On the raging controversy over the beef ban in the State, he said there was no room for any anti-Muslim law in the Muslim majority State. “Any such court or administrative orders being implemented at the behest of communal forces of India would be met with fierce resistance,” he said, referring to a recent High Court order which directed the police to ensure strict implementation of beef ban in the State that has been in force since 1932.

He maintained that the majority community had protected the rights of minorities and would continue to do so.

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