Thursday, June 16 2005 14:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kaman Post (LoC): Nine Kashmiri separatist leaders including Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik today (Jun 16, 2005) returned to Kashmir valley after a fortnight-long visit to Pakistan and the part of Kashmir under its control.

They reached Kaman Post, the last territory on this side of the divide, at 14:15 hours (IST) in the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus.

Tight security arrangements have been put in place all along the 120 kms road from Kaman post to Srinagar to ensure safe and smooth passage for them, official sources said. A total of 53 repeat 53 other passengers including 30 residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents also reached here on the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus to a warm welcome.

Twenty-three of the passengers were Kashmiris who are returning home after meeting their kin in PoK.

The leaders, including a seven-member Hurriyat delegation representative of Shabir Ahmad Shah's Democratic Freedom Party, Mohammad Abdullah Tari had gone to PoK on June 2 on the invitation of Pakistan Government to discuss how Kashmir issue could be resolved.

Before leaving, Mirwaiz had stated that his faction of Hurriyat would resume the stalled talks with the Centre on their return from Pakistan.