Next 4 months crucial, announce ceasefire: Hurriyat

Srinagar, Feb 4 (UNI) Prognosticating the next few months to be a watershed for Jammu and Kashmir, Chairman moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Omar Farooq today urged India and militants to announce a ceasefire to help build a conducive atmosphere.

He asked the militant leadership to announce a time bound cease-fire in the valley so that a positive atmosphere is built.

However, making it clear that no bilateral solution to the issue would be acceptable to the people of the region, he pointed out that they were the principal party to it.

Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, after Executive Council and General Council meeting of the amalgam, Mirwaiz Omar said the next two to four months would be very crucial for resolving the issue.

We will be visiting Pakistan and ''Azad Kashmir'' next month again to take foward the process.

He said during the recent 9-day stay of three member Hurriyat delegation --himself, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone--in Pakistan, they held several meetings with the leadership there.

We met the Pakistan President, Prime Minister Showkat Aziz, opposition leaders and leadership in Azad Kashmir, he said, adding they all appreciated "our efforts".

He welcomed the four-point formula, including self governance, open borders, demilitaralisation on both the sides of the border and joint management, proposed by Pakistan.

He said the HC had suggested setting up of working committees in all the five regions of the state to take foward the peace process.

The groups can provide inputs to India and Pakistan on the contentious issue, he said.

The Pak formula will be debated in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, India and Pakistan during the next two to four months, he said.

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