Political leaders from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir and prominent think tanks attended a conference in Islamabad on Friday to deliberate upon various ways to resolve the Kashmir issue.
About 50 delegates from India and Pakistan, including National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, took part in the two-day meet being organised by an international NGO Pugwash to deliberate on the idea of self-governance floated by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.
The intra-Kashmir dialogue is entitled 'Prospects of Self-Governance in Jammu and Kashmir and Present Status of Cooperation and Communications Across the LoC.' Delegates are also expected to meet President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri.
Moderate Hurriyat faction leader Mirwaiz Farooq, associate Abdul Gani Bhat and leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Yasin Mallik are also attending the conference.
People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti declined the invitation to attend the meeting aimed at discussing ideas to resolve the Kashmir issue while hardline Hurriyat faction leader Syed Ali Geelani was declined visa by the Indian government to take part in the conference.