SRINAGAR: Two days before the second roundtable conference, the moderate faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Sunday termed it an exercise in futility.

It also questioned the participation of "pro-India" parties in the peace process and said they were responsible for the bloodshed in the past several years.

On the eve of the death anniversary of Awami Action Committee founder Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and senior separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, the Hurriyat organised a rally at Mazar-e-Shuhda (Martyr's graveyard) at Eidgah, and asserted that it would not play with the "blood of thousands of Kashmiris, who have laid down their lives for the just cause of Azadi."

Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said talks should be held only with the "relevant groups, which represent the freedom movement."

Without naming the conference, scheduled for May 24 and 25 in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said such efforts were "exercises in futility."

Though the Hurriyat would take a decision on its participation on Monday, there were indications that it might stay away. "We are not against the talks; we were the first to initiate talks with Islamabad as well as New Delhi," he said. No other model, except the tripartite dialogue, which "we have suggested," was acceptable to us.

Hailing Pakistan for its stand on Kashmir, he said it had "rightly said the dialogue should be held with the Hurriyat Conference."

The Mirwaiz made a scathing attack on mainstream parties. Without naming the National Conference, whose president Omar Abdullah called for making the roundtable a success, he said: "You should not advise us. You were the people who took part in elections and all of you are playing with the sentiments of Kashmir."

The former Hurriyat chairman, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, blamed the former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, for "hundreds of killings" in Kashmir when he was the Home Minister. "He introduced draconian laws. How can he represent us and talk about the resolution of the issue."

The Mirwaiz said the views of the people were final, and no alternative would work. "If India is ready to talk, we will respond, but it should not be a free-for-all affair. But one thing is clear: talks and repression cannot go together."

Hurriyat leader Bilal Gani Lone said confusion was being created in the name of talks.

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