Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a media interview in Srinagar said that he had always supported the dialogue process but it had to be sustained and time-bound to achieve the desired goal, KMS reported on Thursday.

He stressed the need for implementing the suggestions made by the APHC for improving the ground situation in occupied Kashmir.

"We welcome the CBMs but we believe that focus on demilitarisation, revocation of draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA), end to violations of human rights and release of all illegally detained Kashmiri Hurriyet leaders and activists will have larger impact on the ground situation," Mirwaiz maintained.

Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar said, "If New Delhi wants to restore confidence, then it should withdraw forces, revoke draconian laws, release political detainees and punish the troopers involved in the killing of 120 Kashmiri youth during the last year's uprising."

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2010