Srinagar: Expressing willingness to enter the second round of talks with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Hurriyat Conference led by Maulvi Abbas Ansari today (March 15, 2004) said a decision on the issue would be taken only after a formal invitation from the Centre.

"We are ready to move forward on the dialogue process. We will decide whether to hold talks or not only after a formal invitation is received," Ansari told reporters on the sidelines of a Hurriyat executive meeting.

On the deadline given to the Centre for improving the Human Rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Ansari said it is "my individual decision, which get abrogated when collective decisions are taken".

Welcoming the thaw in relations between India and Pakistan, he said while the two countries sort out their differences, the Kashmir issue should not be ignored. "We would like to hold talks with Pakistani leadership as they control two-thirds of the State," he said.

Asked if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government was trying to derive electoral benefits from the talks with Hurriyat, Ansari said, "They are talking to Pakistan and playing cricket there. Won't they benefit from it?"

Ansari, however, expressed reservations over the release of political prisoners but said he was optimistic that such detenues would be released soon.

"Those released earlier were counter-insurgents and petty criminals, which we duly conveyed to the Government. Sheikh Abdul Aziz was released later on and we are hopeful others will be released as well," he said.