Upset at invite to all, Hurriyat won’t be at roundtable

Turning down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s invitation for a roundtable on Kashmir on February 25, the moderate faction of the Hurriyat, led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, today said they would not participate in any dialogue attended by “people who do not consider Kashmir disputed”.

The Hurriyat decision was announced after a three-hour meeting the of its executive and general councils. Mirwaiz Farooq, who described the idea of talks as “premature”, said: “India, Pakistan and Kashmiris are still far from arriving at a consensus on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute which would make a joint conference necessary.”

“Hurriyat does not oppose India talking to other separatists. But if New Delhi is pursuing a dialogue to resolve Kashmir, it should not involve people who do not challenge India’s jurisdiction over the state,” he said.