New Delhi, August 29
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today assured the Kashmir Committee that the dialogue process to find a solution to the decade-old problem of the state would continue even after the Assembly elections with “all elements” in the state.

Shortly after the meeting with the Prime Minister, the Committee Chairman Ram Jethmalani said that the Prime Minister had assured that the government would continue the talks with “all elements”, including the elected representatives after the poll.

Later the Kashmir Committee had a 75-minute dinner meeting with separatist leader Shabir Shah. Mr Shah, who heads the People’s Democratic Freedom Party (PDFP), is in Delhi to hold second round of talks with the committee. He has said his party could consider participation in elections if these were part of the process to find solution to the Kashmir problem. Mr Jethmalani had invited leaders from various political parties for the dinner. Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and Samajwadi Party chief Amar Singh were among those present at the dinner.

The committee’s meeting with the Prime Minister was also attended by two members of the committee, Mr Dileep Padgaonkar and Mr M. J. Akbar. Mr Jethmalani said the Prime Minister hoped that further steps would be taken by the committee to ensure participation of those who were not ready to take part in the elections.

The Prime Minister expressed the hope that those who were still unwilling to participate in the elections would come up and take part in the ensuing elections, he said,