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Offer unilateral ceasefire: Mirwaiz

Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's offer of a "treaty of peace, security and friendship" to Pakistan has widely been welcomed by both moderate separatists and mainstream political leaders in Kashmir. Chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who addressed the Friday congregation here, welcomed the launch of the Amritsar-Nankana Saheb bus service, saying it would strengthen the peace moves.

He said India should take bold initiatives about Kashmir. The Mirwaiz told reporters that New Delhi should offer unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir, following which his alliance would "try its best to persuade militant leadership for the same." "Being a bigger party, the initiative has to come from India. We will ask all those involved in the struggle to reciprocate, so that peace is given a chance," he said.

But the chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was not much enthused by Dr. Singh's offer.

"Well, whatever India and Pakistan do between themselves, they have every right to do it, but so far the Jammu and Kashmir issue is not a territorial dispute between the two countries. It is about the right to self-determination of 1.3 billion people," Mr. Geelani told The Hindu .

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