A Geelani first: Will consider a talks offer

Geelani said that any offer for dialogue would be discussed in the advisory council of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and the Hurriyat Conference. We have an advisory council in Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. If there is an invitation,we will keep the offer before them for discussion. We are also part of the Hurriyat Conference and it would be then discussed in its advisory council, he said. We will also take the advice of like-minded people before making a decision.

Geelani said that the decision to accept or reject the dialogue offer can be taken only after checking the nature of offer and the decision of advisory council.

The positive signals for dialogue have come at a time when there are indications that the Centre may make dialogue offer to the separatists in Kashmir.

This is for the first time that separatist hardliners are ready to discuss any dialogue offer from the Centre. In the past,Geelani had maintained that his separatist amalgam will talk to the Centre only when it accepts the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,releases political prisoners and revokes special powers to the armed forces.

Though the Hurriyat hardliners have kept their options open,the militant leadership has asked the separatists to stay away from any bilateral talks with New Delhi. We appeal to both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups to stay away from bilateral dialogue process with the Centre, a local news agency quoted the United Jihad Council chief Syed Salah-ud-din as saying. The Indian government has never shown any sincerity to resolve Kashmir through dialogue.