Thursday, September 1 2005 11:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: An extraordinary meeting of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference began here today (Sept 1, 2005) to discuss the strategy for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September five.

The meeting presided over by Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq is being held at the Amalgam headquarters.

It will take the General Council of the Amalgam into confidence and discuss the agenda for the talks, the first since the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government came to power at the Centre in May last year.

The Amalgam had earlier held two rounds of talks with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime.

Heading for the meeting, former Hurriyat Chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari said, "The Centre has realised that a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue cannot be found without the inclusion of people of Jammu and Kashmir in the dialogue process."

Ansari said it was a long-standing desire of Hurriyat to meet both Indian and Pakistani leadership and the Amalgam was happy to note that realisation had dawned upon India to push the peace process forward.

Tight security arrangements have been made for the meeting, including anti-sabotage checks and deployment of mine detectors.

Earlier accepting the Prime Minister's invitation 'in principle,' Mirwaiz said yesterday (August 31, 2005), "It was our demand that the talks should be held at the highest level. So we have agreed to meet the Prime Minister on the scheduled date."

Describing the invitation as a welcome step, he said, "We believe that Kashmir issue needs a political settlement, a peaceful settlement in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have always maintained that we want to have serious discussions and debate on Kashmir."