Unity if Mirwaiz group withdraws from talks with Centre: Geelani

New Delhi, Nov 15 (UNI) Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today said he was ready to unite with the moderate faction of the amalgam, if it withdrew from peace talks with the Centre.

''If the moderate group withdraws from the talks with the Government of India we will unite... but it is out of question to merge with a group which has separate goals,'' Mr Geelani said.

''Those who have been holding talks since 2004 with the Government of India should know that the dialogue has not yielded any results.... What is the purpose of such meaningless dialogue,'' he added.

Mr Geelani, who called on visiting Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan here yesterday, said his Tehreek-e-Hurriyat was even ready to come together with any group which supported ''self-determination for Kashmiri people''.

However, the pro-Pakistan separatist said he had ''nothing in common'' with the groups which supported self-rule, joint management and demilitarisation in the state.

''These options are not viable.... we have to have common principle onwhich we will come together,'' he added.

Sources told UNI that during the on-on-one meetings yesterday, Mr Khan had stressed the separatists, particularly Mr Geelani, to set aside their differences and unite in the ''larger interest of the Kashmir cause.'' Moderate Hurriyat delegation head Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat said the ''merger issues'' was not agenda for the discussions with Mr Khan.

''We discussed confidence building measures (CBMs), joint management, self-rule and demilitarisation at the meeting,'' he added.

The moderate Hurriyat leader said he was not aware of what transpired at Mr Khan's meeting with Democratic Freedom party Chief Shabir Ahmed Shah, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) President Yaseen Malik and Mr Geelani.

Pakistan has been trying for long to pursue the separatists to sink their differences and come together under one aegis ''in the larger interest of Kashmir issue''.

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