Hurriyat meets to discuss Centre's offer of talks

SRINAGAR, APRIL 21. The working committee of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today deliberated the Centre's offer of holding talks with all groups in Jammu and Kashmir but apparently failed to arrive at any consensus. The matter would further be discussed by its general council next week.

After the four-hour meeting, the Hurriyat leaders maintained a studied silence over the outcome. The APHC chairman, Mr. Abdul Gani Bhat, said three members each from the seven-party executive expressed their ``free, frank and fearless'' views about the Centre's offer. He refused to give further details but said the matter would be discussed at the general council meeting of the 23-party conglomerate on Monday.

The views expressed at the working committee and general council would be discussed at the Hurriyat's executive meeting slated later next week, he said.

However, APHC insiders said a majority of the participants doubted the sincerity of the Centre in resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful negotiations.

In New Delhi, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, advised the APHC to respond positively to the Centre's offer of talks.

Talking to presspersons after the signing ceremony of the $one billion power project between the State Power Development Corporation and the National Construction Corporation of Norway, Dr. Abdullah said, ``If they (the Hurriyat) do not participate in the talks, they will have missed the bus. It is only through negotiations that normality can be achieved in the State.''

Queried on the security risks to the Norwegian personnel involved in the project's execution, he said there would be no such problem. He clarified that the French consortium had abandoned the Dulhasti project not because of any security threats, but because of the cost escalation.

- PTI, UNI

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