Hurriyat Conference Chief Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Wednesday suggested that the talks between separatists in Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre should not be held hostage to violence.
Umer, who was participating in the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit meet in New Delhi and shared the dais for the first
time with National Conference President Omar Abdullah and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, said, "We cannot wait for holding talks till the last gun falls silent. It is like chicken and the egg, which ever comes first."
Referring to Hurriyat's talks in 2004 with Bharatiya Janata Dal-led National Democratic Alliance government, the Mirwaiz said, "I remember that dozen of militant groups protested against the parleys. But this time, they are watching us silently and they neither opposed nor supported our move to hold talks with the Centre.
"They are watching the outcome of the talks. In fact, we can say violence on the ground is an indicator as to how the talks are progressing. If they are progressing in the right direction, the violence will come down automatically," he contended.
Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba favoured reallocation of troops and all three were of the view that violence should end and efforts made to find ways to solve the Kashmir issue.