Omar urges Centre to hold talks with Hizb chief

Srinagar, Apr 5 (UNI) National Conference (NC) chief Omar Abdullah has urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks with United Jehad Council (UJC) chief and Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander Syed Salahuddin on troop withdrawal and other issues to ensure success of the ongoing peace process in Jammu and Kashmir.

''For the success of the ongoing peace process and withdrawal of troops in Jammu and Kashmir, both India and Pakistan should hold a dialogue with Salahuddin,'' he told a public gathering at Ganderbal.

Mr Abdullah, a former Union Minister, said during his father Farooq Abdullah's tenure as the Chief Minister, he had invited the Hizbul Mujahideen for talks.

''The five Hizb leaders who held talks were later eliminated during his (Dr Abdullah's) successor Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's rule.

This clearly indicates who is for peace and who is not,'' he added.

The NC president said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were the principal party to the long-festering issue. The ongoing peace process would fail to yield the desired results if the Kashmir issue was not resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state, he added.

''The people of Jammu and Kashmir are the principal party to the dispute and both India and Pakistan have to take concrete steps to resolve the vexed issue expeditiously and in accordance with their wishes and aspirations,'' Mr Abdullah said.

For the past 17 years, he said the people have been subjected to untold miseries. ''Every household is mourning as it has been subjected to violence,'' he added.

Mr Abdullah said the people of the state were for peace and should be allowed to live with dignity.

Praying for the success of the ongoing dialogue process, the NC chief said the bearers of hatred should crumble down like the Berlin wall so that the people lead a peaceful life.

Launching a scathing attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for complicating the demilitarisation issue, he said, ''we will now have to seek New Delhi's consent even for shifting a bunker.'' ''Earlier slogans of healing touch and two jobs to each family have proved to be a mirage and now the party (PDP) has resorted to other slogans to hide its failures,'' Mr Abdullah added.

UNI