New Delhi, January 15
Having broadened the dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir by holding talks with a group outside the Hurriyat Conference, the Centre is now likely to invite other separatist leaders in the valley for talks.
These include Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) chief Shabir Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik.
The Centre is also likely to invite Kashmiri Pandits.
According to sources, talks with the JKDFP and the JKLF will take place before the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is invited for the second round of talks.
The JKDFP and the JKLF are likely to be invited for talks next month.
Several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have suggested to the government to invite Kashmiri Pandits for talks as it will send right signals to the community, forced to migrate from the valley after the eruption of militancy.
Kashmiri Pandits have been accusing the Centre of ignoring their problems and not doing enough to address
their issues. Mr Ashok Bhan, who has been associated with the Track-II efforts on Jammu and Kashmir, said the government was being persuaded to invite Kashmiri Pandits for talks.He said efforts were also being made to coordinate among various organisations of Kashmiri Pandits to form a representative group.
The sources said hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had been sounded about the talks, but the response had not been positive.
Mr Geelani was recently given clearance for
performing Haj by the government.
The sources said People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone, who met the Prime Minister yesterday, talked about the need for confidence-building measures in the state.
The Centre had expressed its willingness to reach out to all shades of public opinion and to talk to those who were outside the electoral system in the state.
The sources said the state government had been urging the Centre to broaden the base of the dialogue process and make it inclusive of various shades of opinion in the separatist camp.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had been in favour of inclusion of more groups in the dialogue process.
The People’s Conference was the first party outside the moderate Hurriyat Conference invited for talks.
The move had also been seen as a message to the Hurriyat Conference, which had of late been echoing suggestions made by Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and portraying itself as the main voice of the people of the state.
