Despite assuring Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of talks with all the stake holders in Kashmir, Centre today decided against holding talks with the separatists including Hurriyat conference, Mail Today reported Tuesday.

“The government is taking steps to address the situation in Kashmir but under no circumstances, there would be any engagement with the separatists including the Hurriyat Conference,” Mail Today quoted a senior government source.

Pertinently Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and emphasized that dialogue was only way to prevent the situation from deteriorating in the valley.

“How long can you have confrontation…there is no option but to talk,” Mehbooba said.

“However, an atmosphere needs to be created for a dialogue,” she told media after the meeting.

However, according to the report in Mail Today, the government believes that talks with the separatists would yield no results as all such attempts have failed in the past.

Contrary to the report in Mail today, senior PDP leader and Member of Parliament, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh yesterday said that due to ‘lack of interest’ from Hurriyat Conference is not ready to hold talks with government of India.

“Government of India is ready for a dialogue over Kashmir, but Pakistan is not ready. When Pakistan is not ready for a dialogue, how can Hurriyat leaders talk to Government of India,” Muzaffar Hussain Beigh told a local news gathering agency.

Beigh however added that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is ready for a dialogue over Kashmir with India, but he is on the back foot due to pressure from Army, Jamat-ul-Dawah and ISI.

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