NEW DELHI, April 29: Kashmir’s spiritual leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq began a fresh bid on Friday to reunite the disparate resistance-leadership, saying this was what President Pervez Musharraf had sought and that was needed to enable the leadership participate in the peace process.

In a summary of his weekly address at the Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, sent to Dawn by email, the Mirwaiz lauded recent talks between President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “These detailed talks on the issue and subsequent statements from the two leaders have given new hope and succour to many Kashmiris”, he said. “Our people are beginning to see a chance of positive resolution of the Kashmir issue. We are heading towards a good outcome.”

The Mirwaiz said it was his effort to bring together all the shades of opinions that were once a part of All Parties Hurriyat Conference. “Unfortunately we could not meet Gen Musharraf as a single united group that we had been and that we should indeed be again. And this was noted by the Pakistan president too.”

Maulvi Farooq said he would make a fresh attempt to help unite various powerful leaders of the Hurriyat. The top leaders who are no longer aligned with the rump group led by Mirwaiz include Syed Ali Shah Geelani of the Jamaat e Islami, JKLF leader Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah.

The next big step of the group led by the Mirwaiz is to explore an agenda for talks with the Indian prime minister.