28 March 2004	Sunday	06 Safar 1425

NEW DELHI, March 27: Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani played both sides of the street over the Kashmir dispute on Saturday, offering the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) a fresh date and a promise to look into human rights violations.

But he also warned them, and possibly Pakistan, in a speech elsewhere that New Delhi would exercise zero tolerance with terrorism, euphemism for a militarist doctrine.

Mr Advani met senior leaders of the APHC faction led by Maulvi Abbas Ansari, his second meeting with them. The group had been camping in the Indian capital for the meeting and had significantly attended the Pakistan Day celebrations on March 23 at the Pakistan High Commission.

But its members, including former APHC chairmen Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat and Maulvi Umar Farooq, had kept a discreet distance during the evening from Syed Ali Shah Geelani's faction which was also in attendance at the High Commissioner's dinner.

After the meeting with Maulvi Ansari and his delegation, Mr Advani told reporters that he had promised to look into "alleged human rights violations" in Kashmir. Both sides will meet for a third time in June, after a new government is installed in New Delhi following general elections.

"Today's meeting focused largely on the alleged human rights violations by security forces in the Valley. We have assured them we will look into the problem," the Indian leader said.

APHC leaders described the talks as "cordial, free and frank". Mr Advani reportedly also assured the group that more Kashmiri political prisoners would be freed.

Later addressing a gathering of paramilitary forces, he said India wanted continuation of the peace process with Pakistan but would not tolerate terrorism from across the border at any cost.

"Our message to Pakistan is that we want friendly relations between the two countries, but will follow a policy of zero tolerance in respect of terrorism," he declared, his tone marking a sharp contrast to Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee's remarks in Amritsar the previous day. "We will take every step for the security of our country," Mr Advani said.

He also said the joint statement issued by Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf in January would go a long way in strengthening Indo-Pakistan bilateral ties.

"The joint statement, if followed by Pakistan, will go a long way in building strong bridges of friendship between the two countries," he said in his address to troops on 41st raising day celebration of Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB).

The cricket series between the two countries might seem to be a small step, "but this is an important step in fostering better ties between the people of the two countries," Mr Advani said.

Even as Mr Advani met the APHC leaders, in the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik, his deputy and Democratic People's Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah were among 30 persons detained on Saturday.

JKLF spokesman Tahir Mir told United News of India that Mr Malik was on his way to Bandipora when a police party stopped his vehicle at Sofapora and took him and his deputy Javid Ahmad Mir into custody. He said no reasons had been given for their arrest.