Separatists welcome resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue

SRINAGAR: Welcoming the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan, separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday said they should be "result oriented" and should involve the people of the state so as to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"We welcome the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan. Talks should be result-oriented and carried forward seriously and sincerely," Chairman of J&K Liberation Front Mohammad Yaseen Malik said.

He said both countries should involve people of the state in the talks to resolve Kashmir issue as it was "not a boundary dispute between the two countries but involves future of people of the state."

India and Pakistan decided to resume their dialogue after a one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of NAM summit in Havana yesterday. The talks were stalled following the July 11 serial blasts in Mumbai which claimed nearly 200 lives.

Describing the resumption of dialogue between the two countries as a welcome step, president of J-K Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Ahmad Shah said, "It meets our desire as talks was the only way to resolve the issue."

"We are happy that New Delhi and Islamabad utilized the golden opportunity that came their way and agreed to resume the talks," hesaid.

Shah said talks should be carried forward "seriously and sincerely to resolve the Kashmir issue which was the mother of all problems between the two countries."