National Conference President Omar Abdullah has said that suggestions from Islamabad should be taken "seriously" for finding a lasting peace in the South Asian region.
The National Conference President said during an hour-long meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh he told him that New Delhi should restrain itself from dismissing everything that came from Islamabad and have a healthy discussion on the suggestions that came from across the border."
Talking to Press Trust of India (PTI), the 35-year-old National Conference chief said the fact that Pakistan quickly welcomed the Amritsar statement of the Prime Minister, calling for a friendship treaty, was indicative that it was also serious enough to find a lasting peace in the region.
"Opportunities are shrinking with every passing day. The patience of President Pervez Musharraf is also wearing thin every day. He is the man on whom New Delhi can safely bet as he has the power to turn the tide."
Omar conveyed the feelings of local Pakistanis to Singh, saying "they have a lot of expectations from him as they considered him to be very serious in finding a lasting solution to all bilateral issues between the two countries, including Kashmir." Omar, a Lok Sabha member, also asked the Prime Minister to try and bring Kashmiri Mujahideen groups including Hizbul Mujahideen to the dialogue table.
"We cannot just wish them away. The militants need to be taken on board when a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue was to be found," Omar said.
He also asked the Prime Minister to have back-channel negotiations with the freedom-loving groups to ensure their presence at the second roundtable conference to be held in occupied Srinagar during the month of May.
"After all, the other voices have been heard during the first roundtable and it is high time we need to listen to the voice of dissent," the National Conference president said.
He also took up the case of several Kashmiris who had gone to Azad Kashmir but wanted to return to their homes.
"During my stay in Islamabad, scores of Kashmiri youths met me and other leaders from Jammu and Kashmir at several functions and expressed their desire to return to their homes," Omar told the Prime Minister.
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