Friday, March 10 2006 20:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: The hardline Hurriyat Conference today (Mar 10 2006) criticised Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for terming Kashmir as a bilaterial issue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

The latest statement of Musharraf describing Kashmir as a bilaterial issue between India and Pakistan is unrealistic and ridiculous, Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said addressing a Friday congregation at Shangus village in Anantnag district of South Kashmir.

"Musharraf's utterances are equal to calling a day a night and vice versa," he said.

"Kashmir is neither a bilaterial dispute nor a boundary issue between India and Pakistan," he said adding "this formula (bilaterialism) is against the basic stance of Kashmiris who will not accept any readymade solution to the issue without their active participation."

The fate of 13 million people are attached with the problem, the final solution of which was pending, he claimed.

Musharraf, in an interview to CNN-IBN, had said that India and Pakistan were into bilateral dialogue and did not want it to become trilateral or multilateral.