Hurriyat delegation holds talks with PoK leaders

A visiting delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Sunday met leaders from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

The Hurriyat delegation, led by the group's chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, met the political leadership of PoK in Muzaffarabad.

The seven-member delegation briefed the leaders on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and discussed options for the inclusion of Kashmiris in the bilateral dialogue process.

Besides Farooq, other members of the delegation included Abdul Ghani Butt, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone and Musadiq Aadil.

Shortly after the delegation arrived in Lahore on Saturday, Farooq described the Kashmir issue as a "trilateral matter and not a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan".

Talking to reporters, he said, "The Kashmir dispute requires the attention of the international community (at a time) when other international disputes are progressing towards a solution."

The purpose of the delegation's visit is to add momentum to efforts for the settlement of the Kashmir issue, he said.

While appreciating the resumption of the dialogue between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, he contended that Delhi should "change its stance on Kashmir".

During its stay in Pakistan, the delegation is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Kashmir Affairs Minister Manzoor Wattoo, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, Tehrik-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan and other leaders.

The delegation is visiting at the invitation of the Pakistan government.