New Delhi: Declaring that leaders should not shy away from dialogue on Kashmir, separatist leader Shabir Shah has said negotiations would help in putting an end to gun culture and create a congenial atmosphere for return of normalcy.

The Kashmiri leader at his meeting with Defence Minister George Fernandes also called for immediate return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, highly placed sources said.

Asserting there was no more place for violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah told Fernandes that all sides should redouble their efforts to make sure that guns were removed from the state.

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The separatist leader also said that Centre should come out with some concrete gestures on Kashmir including releasing large number of detenues being held without trial in the jails.

PTI