Friday, June 17 2005 08:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday (Jun 16, 2005) indicated it would welcome the visit of Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, accused of helping militants, to Srinagar if it contributed to the peace process between India and Pakistan.

Asked if PDP would welcome Rashid's visit, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti told Aaj Tak that if the Indian Government permits him to come and if he "wants to play a positive role in the process, we welcome him".

"In the peace process, if he had at one point of time played a negative role and now wants to play a positive role, we welcome him," Mehbooba said.

She said if one wants to break away from whatever role he had played in the political process in the past, he should be given an opportunity.

"If Sheikh Rashid comes, we can very well show him the what the entire people of Kashmir want and what difficulties were caused to them by the (militants') guns," the PDP chief said.