Mirpur (Pak-occupied Kashmir): A cross-section of people in Mirpur favour talks on the Kashmir issue with their brethren from the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) and say the Hurriyat Conference is not a representative body.

Several intellectuals, politicians and separatist leaders, whom the Indian media team spoke to in Mirpur, also welcomed the first-ever visit by Indian scribes as part of the delegation of the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA).

Spotlight: Kashmir is NOT negotiable

Some of them also made a strong plea for starting of a bus service between Rajouri and this town of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at the earliest to enable people on both sides of the LoC to meet.

Prof Nazir Anjum, a political science lecturer in a degree college, said the Hurriyat Conference represented "only a small section of (Kashmiri) Muslims" and was confined only to certain pockets of the valley. "Its writ runs only in certain areas of the Valley," he said.

Another prominent educationist Sheikh Mirza sought talks between Kashmiris from different sides of the LoC.

Describing the Hurriyat as "not a representative authority of the Kashmiris" to hold such an intra-Kashmiri dialogue, he said the talks should also include leaders of the National Conference as well as the Congress party.