Mufti defends NDA, says talks with Hizb path-breaking move

Pattan, Baramulla, Apr 21 (UNI) A few days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said it was a ''shame'' that the Centre held talks with Hizbul Mujahideen in 2000, his predecessor Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today came in support of the NDA government, saying it was a pathbreaking initiative.

''The dialogue process started by the NDA government in 2000 was a pathbreaking initiative. It was for the first time then that the Government of India approached the problems in a pragmatic way by inviting the militants to the negotiating table,'' Mr Sayeed said at an election meeting in Singhpora near here.

The former Chief Minister said it was sad that the process could not be carried forward for various reasons.

''But, it is still important to involve the entire spectrum of separatists, including the militants, in the dialogue process. No one should be untouchable,'' he added.

Mr Sayeed, who is the chief patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the dialogue process need to be expanded in scope and strengthened in content.

There should be no limiting factor in involving all the parties concerned in finding a lasting solution to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

Appreciating the Centre's continued emphasis on finding a negotiated settlement to the Kashmir issue, he said the strength of the ongoing dialogue process was that two successive Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh personally worked for evolving a consensus on restoration of peace in the sub-continent.

The former Chief Minister said the militants and separatists should respond to the new situation in an appropriate manner to make it successful.

''There is no logic in spurning the Prime Minister's offer to take part in the round-table on Kashmir,'' he said and expressed the hope that all political and separatist parties would respond positively and participate in the conference to make it purposeful.

Mr Sayeed said the people of the state had responded positively to the initiatives of the state government in improving the security situation and providing relief to the common man.

''This had been a fundamental factor in changing the scenario of the state during the past three years,'' he added.

UNI AG PK KP2125