A freedom fighters alliance in revolt-hit Indian occupied Kashmir urged visiting US President George W. Bush on Friday to push nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to demilitarise their zones of scenic Kashmir.
Bush arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday on a trip that was also scheduled to take him to India's nuclear rival and neighbour Pakistan.
"The US President should prevail upon the governments of India and Pakistan to demilitarise the entire Jammu and Kashmir," said the moderate wing of the freedom fighters alliance All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in a statement.
President Pervez Musharraf has proposed several times demilitarising the territory. But India has rejected the idea, saying it is fighting a deadly insurgency against New Delhi's rule in its zone.
Hurriyat, which has held several rounds of talks with New Delhi on the disputed region's future, also asked Bush to urge India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir row according to "the aspirations of the people of Kashmir."
There have been similar appeals to Bush by other freedom fighter leaders working outside Hurriyat asking him to push for a resolution of the dispute that has triggered two of three wars between India and Pakistan.
The US President, after talks on Thursday in New Delhi that sealed a landmark deal on civilian nuclear trade, called on the South Asian nations to end their differences. "India and Pakistan have an opportunity to work towards lasting peace," Bush said.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf "have shown themselves to be leaders of courage and vision and I encourage them to continue making progress on all issues including Kashmir," Bush told reporters.