Shabir Shah says no to PM's round table meet

"We think the time is not conducive for holding such a conference," said the Democratic Freedom Party chief.

The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) headed by Shabir Ahmed Shah on Thursday rejected participation in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposed round table conference on Kashmir in New Delhi on February 24.

HT Image

In a statement here, Shah said the DFP supported any efforts to find an amicable and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.

"However, we think the time is not conducive for holding such a conference when on one hand India and Pakistan are engaged in talks and announcing several confidence building measures and on the other India is separately holding a dialogue with various separatist leaders," he added.

The DFP Chief said in the absence of a joint strategy by the separatist leadership, the holding of such a round table will create nothing but confusion among the people.

He demanded a round table conference in which representatives of the people of both Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would participate.