Thursday, June 16 2005 19:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kaman Post (LoC): Kashmiri separatist leaders returned home upbeat today (Jun 16, 2005) after a fortnight's tour of Pakistan saying they were ready for unconditional talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"We have no hesitation for holding dialogue. We had not set any preconditions for the talks," chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who was among the nine leaders to visit Pakistan, told reporters when asked if they were ready to meet the Prime Minister.

"It is up to the Government to decide when they want to hold the talks," said Farooq who, along with other separatist leaders held talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and militant leaders during their visit marred by controversy with India expressing reservations to their travel beyond Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Mirwaiz, who along with other members of the delegation, was given a warm send off by PoK leaders at the Line of Control (LoC), said, "We want to further strengthen the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan and our visit across the border was part of that process."

The visit to Pakistan, according to the Hurriyat leader, marked the first step for involvement of Kashmiris as they have been "accepted as a party to the Kashmir dispute."

Asked if the delegation had failed to persuade the militant leadership in Pakistan and PoK for a ceasefire in the state, Mirwaiz said, "It is too early to talk about it. The visit was undertaken to interact and know the perspective of all the concerned people. This is just a beginning and the process should continue."