Accept Kashmir as dispute, we will join talks: Geelani

Srinagar, Mar 22 (UNI) Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani said he was ready to join the dialogue process provided India accepts Kashmir as a dispute.

''We are not against dialogue process which ultimately could lead to the resolution of the Kashmir issue, according to the wishes of the people of the state,'' Mr Geelani said.

He said his faction of the HC was also ready to join the dialogue process on the condition that India accepts that Kashmir is a dispute which has to be resolved.

Mr Geelani said he was being pressurised to join the talks with the Centre by some quarters. ''I will prefer to achieve martyrdom rather than joining the dialogue process which will take us nowhere'', he said adding bilateral talks in the past had failed to yield any result.

Questioning the Centre's sincerity in resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful means, Mr Geelani said,''On the one hand separatist leaders are being invited for talks but on the other Kashmiri youths are being killed in fake encounters and put behind bars for years on fabricated charges.'' Mr Geelani alleged the two youths killed by the Gujarat police in fake encounter after labelling them as militants, were arrested by security forces four months back.

''They were taken to Gujarat and killed there'', he alleged and added that under these circumstances no dialogue process was possible.

He said the freedom movement launched by the people of the Kashmir by sacrificing their everything has reached to the important stage. But he added, ''Some people are using the card of peace process to get the power.'' Mr Geelani also rejected the idea of converting the Line of Control (LoC) into a permanent border. ''The people of the state will never accept such a divide'', he said.

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