NEW DELHI: A senior Kashmiri leader on Thursday said India might halt operations in the disputed region by early next month, following landmark talks with India's deputy prime minister.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who took part in the talks, said after the meeting that the ceasefire would coincide with Eidul Azha. "We expressed our desire that the government should halt the continued operations against civilians, including cordon and search and other such actions," he told the Press Trust of India.

"A decision is expected during the Eid festival scheduled in the first week of next month." He said Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani had told the APHC leaders that he could not take a decision on halting operations against freedom fighters without consulting the army and other agencies.

"When the ceasefire has brought such a relief in the border areas of the state, such a move in the state will definitely bring a great amount of relief to the people in the Valley," the Mirwaiz said.

Quoting sources, PTI said the government might consider steps such as ordering security forces to attack only if attacked. Mirwaiz Farooq also said that Mr Advani was "not averse" to their request for a meeting with Pakistani officials. "We made our case that this will only further the peace initiatives for Kashmir. The deputy prime minister was not averse to the idea."-AFP