APHC rejects Delhi offer

SRINAGAR, June 8: The main alliance in occupied Kashmir on Tuesday rejected the Indian prime minister's offer of peace talks as being nothing new.




India must repeal harsh detention laws, release hundreds of political prisoners and withdraw hundreds of thousands of army soldiers from the region before any dialogue, said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the moderate faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference.




Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said on Monday the Indian government was prepared to talk to any group opposed to terrorism and violence in the disputed region. Similar initiatives in the past failed to make any headway.




Singh returned to New Delhi on Tuesday after spending two days in occupied Kashmir reviewing development work and the security situation.




The Farooq-led group had held three rounds of direct talks with the Indian government in 2004 and 2005. However, the dialogue broke down after the Kashmiris demanded their inclusion in the India-Pakistan talks on settling the dispute.-AP