Srinagar: The thaw in relations between India and Pakistan during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Islamabad, has raised a sense of optimism among separatist leaders who hope that this could lead to resolution of Kashmir issue.

Hurriyat Conference Chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, while attaching significance to meetings Vajpayee had with his counterpart Zaffarullah Khan Jamali and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, said the key to peace in South Asian region lies in the resolution of Kashmir issue.

His predecessor, Abdul Gani Bhat, saw the developments taking place during SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) as a "change in situation towards a brighter feature for Kashmir".

He said the process, which has been set in motion needs to be strengthened and continued. "The two sides should not think of stopping the process."

Chairman of breakaway Hurriyat and hard-line leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani appealed to the SAARC leaders to pay attention towards the Kashmir issue.

Geelani said that unless the Kashmir issue was solved, talks on SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement) and terrorism and other regional matters would be meaningless.

Another former Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq expressed hope that the SAARC Summit would improve relations between the two countries and lead to creation of conducive atmosphere to resolve all issues including Kashmir.