PM to chair meet on Kashmir

Unfazed by the boycott by the Hurriyat Conference and other major separatist groups, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair a round-table conference on Kashmir tomorrow to discuss ways and means to find a solution to the vexed issue.

The meeting, which for the first time brings together political leaders from all the three regions of the state""Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh--will try and find ways to secure permanent peace in the state.

Founding member of JKLF Hashim Qureshi, who had hijacked an Indian Airlines aircraft to Lahore in 1971, will be the only separatist face at the meeting tomorrow.

More than 40 political, leaders including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Union Minister Saif-ud-din Soz, Congress leader Karan Singh, J&K BJP chief Nirmal Singh, K Chawang (Ladakh), Agnishekar, MK Kaw and Ajay Charngu (Kashmiri pandit leaders) will be taking part in the conference.

The concept of the meeting, which was earlier postponed from February 24 to 25 due to the rail budget, did not enthuse the separatist groups including the Hurriyat Conference and they decided not to attend the meet.

The process of declining the invitation was set rolling by firebrand pro-Pakistan Jamaat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, which was followed by JKLF chief Yasin Malik and separatist leader Shabir Shah.

The Hurriyat Conference, while spurning the offer, termed the round-table meet as against the ethos of triangular discussion, which was being held by the conglomerate with India and Pakistan.