SRINAGAR, July 12: Continuing political turmoil among Kashmiri separatists has cast doubts over the future of peace talks with the Indian government, making an end to bloody insurgency in the region unlikely, analysts said on Monday.

"There is no hope of immediate talks between separatists and New Delhi," said political commentator Tahir Mohiudin, editor of Urdu-language newspaper, Chattan. "Moderates want to have unity among all the separatists before the next round of talks. But that seems to be a remote possibility," he said.

Tensions within the ranks of the separatists have been simmering since last September when hardliners, expressing no confidence in Molvi Abbas Ansari, then head of the 27-member All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), broke away and named Syed Ali Shah Geelani as their leader. Mr Ansari's moderate faction held two rounds of talks with New Delhi on the future of Kashmir earlier this year, amid opposition by hardliners. -AFP