May 19, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 02, 1428

MUZAFFARABAD, May 18: The Hizbul Mujahideen has cast serious doubts on the intentions of the pro-India politicians of occupied Kashmir seeking inclusion of the Jihadi leadership in peace talks and warned the Kashmiris to beware of such calls aimed at misleading them ahead of elections in the held territory.

"We believe that such calls and statements are the outcome of opportunism, selfishness and ill-will with intent to hoodwink the public opinion and clinch victory in the upcoming elections (in Indian occupied Kashmir)," said Ehsan Elahi, chief spokesperson of the Hizb, the largest militant group in the held valley.

Though the Hizb statement did not name any politician, it was an obvious reference to National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and party president Omar Abdullah as well as People’s Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and party chief Mehbooba Mufti.

The Muftis have long been underlining the need for involving the Hizb in the peace process, but for the last one year the Abdullahs have also started voicing similar views.

At a recent public meeting, NC president Omar Abdullah was quoted as saying that no solution to the Kashmir issue was possible without involving the Hizb in the dialogue process. He had described the Hizb as "the only indigenous and leader of all Jihadi groups."

His statement was welcomed by a Hizb spokesman in Srinagar.

However, in Thursday's statement, the Pakistan based chief spokesman of the group asserted that since his group was the heir to the more than 100,000 martyrs, who sacrificed their lives during the past two decades, it could not participate in the ongoing “fruitless dialogue process.”

"The Hizb has made it clear time and again that it is in favour of constructive, tripartite and Kashmir-specific talks and is ready to lend support to such a process, provided India accepts its four basic conditions to create an environment conducive for dialogue," Mr Elahi said.

Maintaining that the Jihadi leadership, particularly the Hizb, had always rejected pro-India politics, he urged the Kashmiris not to let themselves trapped by opportunist and power hungry pro-India politicians or accept any negotiation process or elections under the Indian Constitution.