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Pakistan Kashmir Committee should be allowed to visit India: Shah

Ajay Kaul in New Delhi

Senior Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah has asked the central government to allow Pakistani Kashmir Committee to visit India ahead of the SAARC summit in Islamabad as a 'goodwill gesture to break the deadlock' over the Kashmir issue.

Shah, who met Kashmir Committee chairman Ram Jethmalani, asked him to bring 'concrete proposals' with regard to resolution of the Kashmir issue during the committee's proposed visit to state in the coming days.

"There is no other alternative to holding of trilateral talks involving India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir to resolve the Kashmir issue," the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party president said.

"Some day all the three parties have to sit on a negotiating table and it is better if it happens soon," he added.

Shah said besides meeting Jethmalani, he had held talks with PKC leader Sardar Abdul Qayoom to discuss possibilities of resolving the 'vexed problem because of which a danger is lurking over the entire sub-continent'.

On the recently held election to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, he said these could 'at best meet the administrative needs and not resolve the core problem'.

"These polls have no meaning as far as resolution of the Kashmir issue is concerned," Shah said, pointing out that none of the separatist leaders had contested the election.

Shah, however, said he was not against the democratic process.

Shah criticised the Centre over its Kashmir policy, saying 'it is indulging in ad-hocism and has no vision'.

The government must give up its 'hardline' attitude, he said, adding New Delhi has to talk to Pakistan and Kashmiris as the issue can be settled only through dialogue.

On the prospects of his having talks with the Centre, Shah dismissed such a possibility till the Centre displayed some 'sincere programme for resolution of the Kashmir issue'.

"The government does not have the guts to talk. They already backed out thrice," he charged and alleged that 'by refusing to hold talks with separatists, the Centre is giving an impression that it wants the issue to be solved through the gun'.

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