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| Shun violence if you want talks, Azad tells militant outfits | | |
Jammu, Aug 22: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Tuesday that his government was ready to hold talks with militant outfits but only after they give up violence.
Azad, who recently appealed to the separatists, the hardline and moderate factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to participate in the third roundtable conference, said he had no problem to include banned outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in the talks but “violence and dialogue cannot go hand in hand”.
"We have never said that we do not want to talk to Hizbul Mujahideen or to any other party for that matter. We always say that we want to talk to various political parties and any country. We are ready to talk to even the militant organisation. We want to talk to … but yes we have a basic condition, be it Hizbul Mujahideen or any other group, there is a rule that to sit across the table, one should stop violence. It cannot be like this that both talks and violence continue at the same time. If they stop violence and they lay down their arms we are ready to ahead with the talks," said Azad.
He went on to say that the natives of the state have to participate in the peace talks in the efforts to stop the menace of militancy.
"It is the people of the state who should participate to stop militancy. It is they who should take to the streets and rebel against the militants. It is they who should inform police about militants hiding in their homes for because of these militants, our children are unable to lead a normal life and continue with their education. It is because of the militancy that there is no development in the state and tourism, which is the main stay of the state's economy, is suffering," said Azad.
Both the factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference had boycotted the second roundtable conference convened Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May. |
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