J&K: Mirwaiz rules out talks with Centre

Hardening his stand in the wake of killing of three youths allegedly in a fake encounter by the army recently, moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Monday ruled out talks with the Central government saying "dialogue and butchering of youths cannot go together".

"How can we hold talks when youths are being butchered?" the chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference said in an obvious reference to the alleged fake encounter in Machil sector in Kashmir Valley on April 30.

"Talks and killing of youths cannot go together," he said when a reporter asked him whether the Hurriyat would talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his upcoming visit to Kashmir.

The PM had said his government was ready to hold dialogue with all groups in Jammu and Kashmir which are outside the political mainstream provided they shun violence.

Mirwaiz was talking to reporters in Srinagar soon after he was released from the house arrest after three days. He said the Hurriyat wanted talks to resolve the Kashmir issue, but added, "When people especially the youths are not safe and secure, there is no point in holding talks."

"I categorically say no to talks with New Delhi unless troops are withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is revoked."

"The Hurriyat responded positively for talks to settle the Kashmir issue. But under the present situation we cannot hold talks," the Hurriyat leader said.

"We are being placed under house arrest or detained to foil our plans to lodge protest against injustice," he said.

The moderate separatist leader was placed under house arrest to prevent him to visit Shopian, which observed the first anniversary of alleged rape and murder of two young women on Sunday.

Rejecting the magisterial probe ordered by the state government into the Machil incident, he said, "The facts are before the people."

The army had on April 30 said they had killed three unidentified infiltrators in Machhil sector when they sneaked into India from across the border. However, relatives alleged the three killed were youths who were missing since April 27.

Their bodies were exhumed which were identified by the relatives.

Image: Mirwaiz Umer Farooq  |  Photograph: Reuters