26 January 2004	Monday	03 Zilhaj 1424

SRINAGAR, Jan 25: Leaders of a breakaway faction of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference on Sunday said they would urge the United Nations to scrap its resolutions on the divided region if the dispute is settled through dialogue.

Maulana Abbas Ansari, who recently led first round of talks with the Indian government, said there would then be no need for the resolutions, vehemently opposed by India.

A series of UN Security Council resolutions dating back to the 1940s and 1950s give Kashmiris the right to choose between India and Pakistan. "If India, Pakistan and Kashmiris resolve the issue of Kashmir to the satisfaction of all the three parties, we will ourselves go to UN and urge it to drop all Kashmir-related resolutions," Maulana Ansari said.

"We will tell UN there is no need of these resolutions now," said Maulana Ansari, speaking after his return from New Delhi after talks with Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani on Thursday.

PRISONERS RELEASED: Eighteen Kashmiri prisoners, held in jails on various charges, have been released and more such prisoners would be released before Eidul Azha, Kashmir Media Service quoted chief minister of the Indian-held Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Saeed as saying. About human rights violations, he said occupation troops would be made accountable for such acts.-Agencies