Kashmir incomplete without Pandits: Shabir Shah

Separatist leader Shabir Shah on Thursday said Kashmir Valley is incomplete without Pandits and those who migrated after the eruption of militancy should return to their homeland.

"Kashmiri Pandits have always been a part of our culture and our history ... Kashmir is a garden and there are many flowers in here ...Kashmir is incomplete without the Pandits. Kashmiri Pandits should come back to their homes," Shah told reporters here.

The Kashmiri Pandits left their homes in early 1990, months after militancy broke out in the Valley. Though some have returned, many are still living in camps in Jammu.

He condemned the government's scuttling of his recent visit to Jammu saying he was "forcibly deported from Jammu" to Srinagar.

Shah refuted reports that Hurriyat Conference will take part in the 2014 state Assembly elections.

Shah's Democratic Freedom Party is a constituent of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference.

He favoured talks between India and Pakistan, saying the two countries should forge friendship and work on Confidence Building Measures.

He, however, insisted that the Kashmir is the "core issue" which should be resolved at priority basis.

First Published: May 03, 2012 18:44 IST