Wednesday, February 16 2005 19:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference today (Feb 16, 2005) termed the agreement between India and Pakistan to start the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as a "small yet significant step" towards final settlement of the Kashmir issue even as the hardline Geelani faction dismissed it as a "non-issue".

"A small and yet a significant step towards finding a final and permanent solution to Kashmir issue has been taken by India and Pakistan," Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Bhat told reporters in Srinagar when its reaction was sought on the launching of the bus service.

Bhat said a breakthrough has been achieved in the peace process by the agreement between two nations on starting the bus service and hopefully they will do the same in other issues as well.

"We hope that the two countries will come to grips with the situation and other ground realities and move positively and productively towards resolution of Kashmir issue as per the wishes and aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

However, chairman of the hardline faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who has opposed the bus service right from the beginning, was dismissive about the move by New Delhi and Islamabad saying "it was not an alternative to the right to self determination of the people of the State".

"We have not given huge sacrifices for any bus service. For us it is a non-issue. Our struggle is for resolution of Kashmir issue and right to self determination," he added.

Geelani said the "latest move would not bring any relief to common masses in Jammu and Kashmir".