Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference on August 12 welcomed the offer of ceasefire made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, but said militants have to be taken into confidence for it to be durable, which can lead to a sustained dialogue process on Kashmir issue.

"We welcome the offer of ceasefire made by Musharraf and hope that India reciprocates the latest initiative by Pakistan to create a conducive atmosphere for a dialogue process," Hurriyat chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari said.

He said there should be sincerity on both sides while initiating a dialogue process to resolve the Kashmir issue in which the militant leadership should also be involved.

Ansari said people on either side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir should be allowed to meet, which would go a long way in building a conducive atmosphere for talks and for them to succeed.

Asked if Hurriyat would be able to convince the militant leadership to hold their guns while talks were in progress, Ansari said Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin has also called for a ceasefire but with certain conditions.

"Mujhe aam khanay se garaz hai, paed ginnay sey nahin (I want to eat mangoes, why should I count the trees). If any one can pursue the Kashmir cause and put an end to the bloodshed, we will support him," he said, adding his stand on a ceasefire had been vindicated by the latest development.

Welcoming Musharraf's statement, former Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said India should allow the separatist amalgam to visit Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

PTI