Pak PM fails to unite Kashmiri separatists

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz (L) walk following a meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi yesterday. Aziz began talks with his Indian counterpart Singh after the rival nations agreed to push ahead with peace talks over disputed Kashmir, an official said. PHOTO: AFP

Aziz, on a two-day visit to New Delhi, sat separately with the groups from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference way beyond midnight Tuesday to try to persuade them to shelve their differences for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

However, his efforts foundered because he was unable to satisfy the Kashmiris that they would be included as a third party in the ongoing India-Pakistan peace dialogue over Kashmir, various newspapers reported.

"While Aziz reiterated the need for unity and assured them that they would be involved in any solution, he maintained a diplomatic silence on when and how," the Indian Express said, quoting a source close to the talks.

It added the chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was keen on unity but his gestures were cold-shouldered by the leader of the hardline faction, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Geelani's faction has the backing of Islamic militants who have been fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region for 15 years.

Prominent separatist leader Shabbir Shah said that Kashmir was a "tripartite" issue and the people of the region needed to be involved in the India-Pakistan peace talks over the region, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

"Unity is our internal matter and one day hopefully we will speak in one voice," Shah was quoted as saying.

India and Pakistan each hold part of Kashmir but claim it in its entirety. The Himalayan region has been the cause of two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

Separatists want independence for Kashmir or for the region to be incorporated into Pakistan. Geelani's faction demands the holding of a plebiscite while Farooq's moderates say they they are willing to discuss various "road maps" with India and Pakistan.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has suggested that Kashmir could be divided into seven regions, any one of which could be demilitarised and either placed under United Nations mandate or joint control or given independence.

However, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rejected redrawing borders as a solution.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan committed themselves Tuesday to continuing dialogue on Kashmir during a meeting between Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh that was described as "very friendly".

"It was a very friendly, positive and forward looking meeting," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters after the talks.

The tone was in marked contrast to a verbal spat between the leaders of the two sides over Kashmir, the main point of dispute.

"Saarc issues were discussed. It was felt that although a good start had been made in Islamabad, there was potential for further regional cooperation," Sarna said.