'A lost opportunity': Mirwaiz on India-Pakistan talks mess

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, has called cancellation of the talks between India-Pak "an oppurtunity lost".

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, has called cancellation of the talks between India-Pakistan "an oppurtunity lost".

"It's very unfortunate that both countries have lost the opportunity. Besides Indian's stand that Kashmir cannot be discussed and Kashmir's are not stakeholders is very surprising," he said.

"I have failed to understand how can the two countries talk without discussing Kashmir. Kashmir is at the core of everything between the two countries. People in Kashmir are dying for years and you are not even calling them a party," said Mirwaiz.

Earlier JKLF chairman Yasin Mallik, reacting to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's statement that no third party can be involved in NSA-level talks, said that Kashmiris are not a 'third party' in the talks.

Mallik claimed that the external affairs minister was interpreting Simla Agreement in a wrong way. "Kashmiri's are party to any dialogue as third party means a foreign country, not Kashmiris. We are party to the dispute," he said.

"Cancelling the talks would be unfortunate. They want to treat Kashmiri's like animals, who should not spoken to," added Malik.

Read:Pak says NSA talks not possible, India terms move unfortunate