Hurriyat says it’s open to dialogue with Centre

Such a statement from fire-brand Jamaat-E-Islam leader,Geelani, who is known for his pro-Pakistani stance, is in itself termed as significant by Home Ministry officials, who believe that "now everbody wants peace back in the Valley."

"Talking is essential and one cannot go withoutdialogue… what matters is who talks to whom," the Hurriyat leaders, who were released after six months of detention from Jodhpur Jail recently, have said.

Favouring immediate resumption of dialogue between Indiaand Pakistan with active involvement of true representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, Geelani said "dialouge should be resumed between the parties to the dispute earnestly".

A G Bhat, who is spokesman of the Hurriyat, says "therehas to be dialogue as talks are essential to politics and if you do not talk then what else can you do?

Significantly, the Hurriyat Conference has so farrejected such an offer from the Centre thrice. But today things are different as its leaders say "We will spell out our stand once we receive the offer from the Centre."

The Hurriyat leadership says it will consider the prosand cons of any offer before taking a decision whether or not to open talks with the Centre.

Though the Hurriyat leaders have been moving around andsaying that their release was a fall-out of the recent visit of U S President Bill Clinton, Home Ministry officials say "they were released only as a goodwill gesture".

However, the hopes of Hurriyat were dashed when Clintonmade no concrete statement on carving out a new future for Kashmir during his visit to the sub-continent.

They had expected that the US President would push Indiaand Pakistan to the negotiating table on the Kashmir issue.

Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone has sought to putup a brave face and claims that "Clinton’s visit had vindicated the Hurriyat stand over Kashmir as he had asked India to resolve the Kashmir issue fast".

This statement of Lone, however, has no takers in hisorganisation as the second-rung leadership of the conference have been critical of his visit and have blamed their senior colleagues for "failing to call a spade a spade".

"His visit did not prove to be beneficial for theconference as he only toed the line of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee… how could he secure release of the Hurriyat leaders," says one such leader on condition of anonymity.

PTI SKL SDN DV AA VKS Kashmir-PANTHERS Panther Party favours unconditional talks with Hurriyat

Srinagar, Apr 9 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Partytoday favoured unconditional talks between the Centre and Hurriyat Conference to he restore peace in the strife-torn state.

"Talks are soul of democracy and should be held withoutconditionalities", party Chief Prof Bhim Singh, who visited parts of Anantnag yesterday, told reporters here.

Singh said there was a need for initiation of a "broaderdialogue" with all sections of the people of undivided Jammu and Kashmir as talks with Hurriyat leaders alone cannot stop infiltration from across the border and guns would not fall silent.

He demanded disarming of all civilians in possession ofguns in the state.

Bhim Singh alleged that the killing of five persons inAnanatnag district on the night of March 24 was a "pre-planned conspiracy hatched at the highest level" to divert the attention of the country from Chattisinghpora massacre of 35 sikhs on March 20.

He also charged the Minister of state for Home, Jammu andKashmir, Mushtaq Ahmed Lone of "misleading" the state assembly on the incident and also demanded his resignation.