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India opens door to dialogue with Kashmiri militants
India says it has opened the door for Kashmiri Muslim militant groups to join in a "political dialogue" aimed at restoring peace to the troubled Himalayan region.
New Delhi says the government has decided to embark on a political dialogue with the people of the state, including Kashmiri organisations which are currently engaged in militancy in the state but are "desirous of peace."
The statement said the All Party Hurriyat Conference -- an amalgam of two dozen political separatist parties in Kashmir -- was equally welcome to participate.
The Kashmiri militant group - Hurriyat, however, has refused to open a dialogue until its leaders are allowed to travel to Pakistan for talks with militant groups there.
The statement named top bureaucrat and former defence minister, K.C. Pant, as the government representative for the talks, which it said would focus on an agenda of "peace and how it may be attained in the troubled states."
The statement reaffirmed the government's "faith" in a dialogue with Pakistan, but again called on Islamabad to create the correct atmosphere by "curbing cross-government terrorism" in Kashmir.
6/04/01 6:52:21 | ABC Radio Australia News
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