New Delhi: Kashmir Committee headed by noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani on October 7 met
the US Ambassador Robert D Blackwill and apprised him of the initiatives and
achievements made by the private peace process initiated by it to find a durable
solution to the militancy affected state.
Describing the hour long meeting as "very cordial and positive", Jethmalani said, "we
had a clearer understanding of each other and resolved to work in co-ordination in
future".
He was accompanied by committee members, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, 'Times
of India' editor Dileep Padgaonkar, former diplomat V K Grover and its convenor Ashok
Bhan for the talks with Blackwill, who was assisted by other US diplomats.
Asked about the agenda of the meeting, Jethmalani said, "there was no agenda".
However, he did not reveal much about the details of the talks saying, "if diplomacy
has any chance of success, it has to be held away from the media glare".
He said Washington appreciated the efforts of the Kashmir Committee and added that
the US had a "healthy interest" in ensuring a durable solution to the vexed issue to
avoid "a nuclear holocaust".
Regarding other diplomatic initiatives taken by the Committee, Jethmalani said he had
recently met the Ambassador of Japan and other diplomats from Middle-East
countries.
Asked about the election process underway in the state he said, "we hope government
will keep its promise to talk to the representatives of the people after the polls
and also to those who did not participate in the elections."
PTI
