Srinagar: Welcoming Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh's statement on Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mohammad Abbas Ansari today (May 20, 2004) said it favoured continuation of talks with the Centre to resolve the Kashmir issue.

However, the rival faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani refused to enter into any bilateral dialogue process.

"We have always said yes to talks if they are result-oriented and aimed at resolution of Kashmir issue," former Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told reporters in Srinagar.

Mirwaiz, however, said the amalgam leadership, which is holding a public meeting on the death anniversary of two of its leaders, Moulvi Mohammad Farooq (Mirwaiz's father) and Abdul Gani Lone tomorrow (May 21), would talk to the people on the progress made in the two rounds of talks with BJP-led NDA Government.

"We are going to talk to people tomorrow at eidgah (graveyard) and we will take them into confidence on the future course of action," he added.