Saturday, May 21 2005 14:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today (May 21, 2005) welcomed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's latest proposal of "maximum self-governance" as a step in the right direction even as the hard-line faction of the Hurriyat Conference said it was no "permanent solution" to the Kashmir issue.

The Hurriyat moderates chose a guarded response, saying they would be flexible in their approach for a "durable solution" and give their reaction in a day or two.

Sayeed told reporters in Srinagar, "The borders have to be soft to enable people-to-people contact."

The Chief Minister said Musharraf's suggestion of autonomy was a step in the right direction and would benefit the people on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).

However, he said peace was pre-requisite for the success of the peace process.

"Violence has to come to an end," he added.

The leader of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani rejected the offer outright, saying, "Maximum self governance is not a permanent solution to Kashmir issue."

"No solution that is not in accordance with wishes and aspirations of people of JK would be acceptable," he said.

Geelani said Kashmir was not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, which the two countries could decide without taking State's representatives into confidence.

Whereas the moderate faction of Hurriyat led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was guarded in its response.

"We have been flexible in our approach to finding a durable solution to Kashmir. Hurriyat will meet and discuss the latest proposal and come up with a reaction in a day or two," former chairman of Hurriyat Conference Abdul Gani Bhat said.

Bhat said everyone involved in Kashmir had to demonstrate a deeper sense of responsibility and understanding by showing flexibility and accommodation of other views while arriving at a solution.

"We are realistic down to earth and ready to talk with both India and Pakistan and play our role in ending the imbroglio that has dogged the region for too long," he said.