Hurriyat 'ready' for talks with Centre

Addressing a rally here, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of moderate group said the  Prime Minister must come forward with a comprehensive political package during his visit here.
Singh is arriving here on June 7 on a two-day visit. He is scheduled to address the convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology here.

Going by the fast changing political developments, he is likely to invite separatists for talks. “We have already communicated four demands to Government of India. These demands must be accepted prior to initiating of the talks process. The demands include phased withdrawal of troops from civilian areas, revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other related laws, end to human rights violations and release of Kashmiri detainees,” Mirwaiz said.

After several rounds, the talks between Hurriyat and Centre stopped in 2006. The government stopped inviting separatists after they refused to join the round table conference convened by the Prime Minister that year.

The Mirwaiz also asked other separatists groups including the hardline group of Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani to give up their egos and work for the resolution of issue through talks.

Earlier, the Mirwaiz led a rally from the historic Central Mosque to Eidgah, where he finally addressed the people. The rally was taken out on the 20th death anniversary of the Mirwaiz’s father Moulana Mohammad Farooq. Farooq was killed by unidentified militants in 1990.  During a similar rally on the same day in 2002 another moderate separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone was killed by unidentified militants at Eidgah.