ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: India is unwilling to consider proposals coming through the media and argues it would prefer back-channel contacts, both official and unofficial, to resolve the decades-old Kashmir problem.

Informed sources told Dawn here on Monday that the ruling Congress government wanted the foreign secretaries of both the countries to begin gradual discussion afresh on various options on Kashmir during their forthcoming round of talks.

At the same time, discussions on various proposals should be conducted unofficially in April this year by former senior bureaucrats, generals and intellectuals of both the countries in Islamabad. Recently, they met in New Delhi and reportedly discussed proposals relating to the United States of Kashmir, de-militarization, self governance and extending more autonomy to the people of the occupied territories.

“India today is more inclined than ever before to extend increased autonomy to the Kashmiris under article 370 of its Constitution with a view to resolving the Kashmir dispute,” the sources said.

India would encourage further discussion on these proposals at the foreign secretaries’ level, the sources added.

Chairman of APHC Mirwaiz Muhammad Omar Farooq would also be discussing these proposals with the Pakistani authorities during his visit besides going to the quake-hit parts of Azad Kashmir. Nevertheless, internal political crisis in India has been halting any meaningful discussion on Kashmir and the various proposals relating to it.

“Under the circumstances, both the countries should discuss various options on Kashmir quietly and without bringing them in the media,” a source familiar with the back-channel talks between the two countries said.