Involvement of New Delhi, Islamabad, Hurriyat crucial for solving Kashmir issue: National Conference

SRINAGAR: Opposition National Conference today advocated involvement of "stakeholders" of Jammu and Kashmir in the dialogue between India and Pakistan to reach "mutually agreeable and acceptable" resolution on the Kashmir issue.

"We advocate a sustained dialogue between New Delhi, Islamabad and the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to move towards the mutually agreeable and acceptable resolution of the vexed Kashmir issue," NC Chief Spokesperson and former minister Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said in a statement here.

Mehdi slammed the "stigma" attached with meeting Hurriyat leaders.

"Hurriyat Conference has shunned armed violence and opposes it and is prepared for a sustained, productive dialogue. This should be enough for New Delhi to engage with them and include them in their talks with Pakistan - be it on issues directly related to Kashmir or indirectly related to Kashmir.

"To make it a stigma to meet the Hurriyat leaders is unfortunate and tragic and will embolden those voices that espouse armed militancy," he said.

Accusing ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sabotaging the NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan at the behest of the Centre, the NC leader said that the state government facilitated the house-arrests of Hurriyat leaders.

Mehdi stated that the same PDP that garnered votes on the promise of facilitating talks between the separatists and New Delhi ended up putting Hurriyat leaders under house arrest to prevent them from going to Delhi to participate in the pre-talks consultations, which has always been a routine affair.

"Under an understanding with (Chief Minister) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the PDP, the Central Government detained the Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi while Sayeed remained completely silent and cooperative," he added.