Srinagar: Pro-Pakistan banned militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen today (Jan 7, 2004) indicated a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir if the Centre stopped its operation in the state as a goodwill gesture in view of forthcoming composite Indo-Pak dialogue.

"As a goodwill gesture, India should pull back its troops to the barracks and halt operations in the State," Hizbul Chief Operational Commander Gazi Naseeruddin said in a faxed statement to News and Feature Alliance (NAFA), a local news agency.

He said if India was sincere to resolve Kashmir issue and displayed good intentions during the proposed talk in February, Hizbul Mujahideen would not hesitate to respond positively to the developments.

Welcoming the decision by India and Pakistan to re-open composite dialogue next month, he said Hizb believed that negotiation was the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue and establish peace in the region.

The statement from the radical militant group came close on the heels of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf stating that he did not have a "whistle" to stop violence in Kashmir but he could nevertheless "facilitate" that because he presumed his word carried "some weight" in the Valley.

He described Musharraf a trustworthy, serious and sincere person to resolve Kashmir issue.