Indian Kashmiri separatist demands opening of border

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Leader of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (L) comes out from airport upon his arrival in Islamabad on December 15, 2012. - Photo by AFP
Leader of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (L) comes out from airport upon his arrival in Islamabad on December 15, 2012. - Photo by AFP

MUZAFFARABAD: A separatist leader from Indian administered Kashmir urged rivals India and Pakistan Sunday fully to open the border in the disputed Himalayan region to let the peace process move forward.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the current limited opening of the Line of Control, the de facto frontier in Kashmir, was not enough.

Farooq, a leader of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, is leading a seven-member delegation to Pakistan following an invitation from Islamabad.

He arrived in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani administered Kashmir, on Sunday for a two-day visit and will go on to Islamabad.

“Limited movement of people and goods is not enough, it should be opened for Kashmiris so that they can move across freely to boost the peace process,” Farooq told reporters.

He also said Kashmiris should be included in the peace process as it was not a dispute between just India and Pakistan.

“No solution without the involvement of Kashmiris will be acceptable to us as we are an important party in the Kashmir dispute.”

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