Indian Kashmir leaders to hold talks in Pakistan

Pakistan had invited me, others who oppose India's rule of Kashmir for meetings, says Hurriyat Conference leader

SRINAGAR: Leaders from Indian Kashmir said Monday they would travel to Pakistan for their first talks with officials in nearly four years, a move that could revive cross-border tensions.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of the Hurriyat Conference, said that Pakistan had invited him and other leaders who oppose India's rule of Kashmir for meetings in Islamabad next month.

"We will be meeting members of the ruling party, opposition leaders and government officials," Farooq told AFP, adding he wanted to convince all sides that "peace is impossible without resolution of Kashmir".

Muslim-majority Kashmir, which Pakistan and India both claim but rule in parts, has been racked by militancy since 1989 when an insurgency against Indian rule erupted.

Around 47,000 people have died, though militant violence has fallen in recent years.

Pakistan and India remain deadlocked over Kashmir, but have made some progress in less contentious subjects such as bilateral trade.