Friday, June 3 2005 09:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Muzaffarabad (PoK): Arriving in Muzaffarabad on a historic visit, the Hurriyat Conference leadership last night (Jun 2, 2005) proposed triangular dialogue involving Kashmiris to resolve the Kashmir issue saying this was the only way out of the imbroglio.

Addressing their first press conference in this town of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Hurriyat's acting Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said, "Time has proved that bilateralism has failed in the past. Tashkent and Shimla accords and Agra summit have failed because they failed to take the Kashmiris on board. Tringular dialogue is the only way out to involve Kashmiris".

Farooq said, "We hope our discussion would help in seeking a solution of the Kashmir issue, acceptable to all parties."

Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Bhut said the next stage of talks would be when they travel to New Delhi to hold talks with Indian leaders.

Differences came to the fore in the press conference with Bhatt openly differing with Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik over the trilateral process.

Malik, in his opening statement, said the Kashmir bus was no gift from anyone and questioned the remarks by an organiser thanking Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link.

He said he had told Musharraf during his meeting with him in Delhi in April this year that Kashmiris were "tired of hearing about India-Pakistan efforts to resolve Kashmir issue through the media and it was time for direct involvement of Kashmiris".

Bhatt said he differed with Malik on this and described Pakistan's invitation to Hurriyat leaders as the "first step" for involvement of Kashmiris in the dialogue process.

"We will soon meet the Indian leaders and hold talks. Hope a solution emerge through this process," he said supporting the trilateral process announced by Mirwaiz Farooq.

Bhatt said that in the next few days in PoK and Pakistan they would meet various parties and try to take the dialogue process forward.

He said the involvement of Kashmiris in the peace process was "vital".