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Playing the peace card, ten pro-militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday floated a new political outfit called the Jammu and Kashmir People's Party, which urged India and Pakistan to end hostilities.
The convenor of the party, Imran Rahi, a former divisional commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, said in Srinagar that the amalgam favoured a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Significantly, Rahi said his outfit was not insisting on the inclusion of Kashmiri groups in any dialogue process.
He did not rule out the participation of the JKPP in the coming assembly elections provided it helped in resolving the Kashmir issue, which he described as a "human problem".
Rahi, who was expelled from the Hizb after he and three other terrorists entered into a dialogue with New Delhi in 1996, refused to comment on the ongoing rift in the outfit.
He, however, said all former commanders, including Abdul Majid Dar, who was expelled by the Pakistan-based leadership, were welcome to join the new group.
Rahi said the purpose behind floating the amalgam was that the All Party Hurriyat Conference had failed to give the right direction to the 'freedom movement'.
He also accused the Hurriyat of sabotaging the Centre's offer of dialogue with various Kashmiri groups.
The new grouping included some former terrorist organisations.
PTI
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