Hizb to extend support to peace moves at 'right time'

Pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen on Tuesday said it will extend its cooperation to the current Indo-Pak initiative to resolve the Kashmir issue through peaceful means 'at the right time.'

"We are pursuing a wait-and-watch policy on the ongoing developments on Kashmir," the outfit's spokesman Junaidul Islam told a news agency in a statement.

Hizbul Mujahideen, known for its hardline approach on Kashmir, said it wanted the Kashmir issue to be solved through peaceful means and dialogue.

The spokesman, however, said, it was "imperative that the Government of India moves forward for talks with sincerity."

He said India and Pakistan have made a 'new beginning' for resolving the Kashmir tangle.

Referring to a recent statement of President A P J Abdul Kalam that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, he said: "The President must not ignore the reality. After judging the facts, he must accept the long pending demand of Kashmiris and adopt a realistic approach. Kalam must work for meaningful talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiris."