Monday, August 15 2005 17:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today (Aug 15, 2005) said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's offer to hold dialogue in the state should include separatists.

"Our Prime Minister has said he is ready to hold unconditional talks with people of Jammu and Kashmir. That includes dialogue with the separatists also," he said addressing people at Bakshi stadium amidst tight security on the occasion of 59th Independence Day.

Asserting that human rights violations must be stopped, Sayeed said the Army, security forces and police have been made accountable. "We have tried to remove all forms of excess."

"The wounds of the past need to be healed. Forces should be stopped, human rights violations should be stopped," he said.

The chief minister said Indo-Pak dialogue process would continue and asked militants to shun the path of violence and take recourse to dialogue to seek redressal to their problems.

"This road (violence) will take you nowhere. Killing of innocent people, including political activists, will not solve the problem," he said.

Sayeed said militants should shun the path of violence and take recourse to dialogue process which has been set in motion in the state. They should respect the sentiments of the people who were yearning for peace.

"The state has gone through a long phase of bloodshed and violence resulting in massive loss of human lives and damage to infrastructure," he said.