Sunday, September 4 2005 16:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After a long dithering on whether to talk to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, a five-member Hurriyat Conference team led by its chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq would begin a dialogue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi tomorrow (Sept 5, 2005).

The Centre-Hurriyat talks, which are taking place barely nine days before Singh meets Pakistan President rpt President Pervez Musharraf in New York, would be more or less of an introduction of the separatists to the new Central dispensation. The leaders are expected to reiterate their earlier demand of releasing political détenues and an assurance on ceasefire.

The Hurriyat delegation, which recently toured Pakistan occupied Kashmir in June this year, had raked up the ceasefire issue with militant organisations across the border which was turned down.

Despite keeping its doors open for the talks, the Hurriyat continued with its dilly-dally attitude and shied away from talks until the Centre gave a cold-shoulder to the amalgam leaders.

The amalgam expressed its keen desire to join the Centre for talks through Congress leader Saif-ud-din Soz and accepted a verbal invitation for meeting the Prime Minister tomorrow though they were earlier harping on a special written invitation from the Prime Minister's Office.

Senior officials, including Centre's pointsman N N Vohra about the talks held with the Hurriyat on January 22 and March 27 last year by then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, have briefed the Prime Minister.

PTI