Roundup: Kashmir separatists pessimistic on resumption of India-Pakistan talks

The key separatist groups are pessimistic about the revival of bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, saying the leaders of two countries need to move beyond bureaucratic exercises and show some statesmanship.

Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyan Jaishankar recently visited Islamabad as part of his SAARC tour.

Though the move was perceived as "thaw" in the strained relations between the two countries, the Kashmir separatist groups see the resumption of talks as "futile endeavor" that would fail to yield results.

The head of moderate separatist alliance Hurriyat (freedom) Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq though welcomed the talks but raised his suspicion over the outcome.

"Bureaucratic engagements and talks will not be able to tackle what is essentially a political issue requiring the exercise of real statesmanship and political decision-making," Farooq said.

"If the leadership in India and Pakistan continue to avoid the path of statesmanship and continue to rely on bureaucratic approaches, it will only serve to keep South Asia endlessly trapped in uncertainty and instability."

Farooq said they have witnessed processes start and then get stalled again.Last year New Delhi called off foreign secretary- level talks with Islamabad citing reservation over Pakistan's engagement with Kashmiri separatists ahead of the talks.

Hardline separatist alliance Syed Ali Geelani urged the governments of the two countries to come out of customary dialogue process and adopt a serious approach towards the final resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"Kashmir is not the issue of good or bad governance, so it can' t be solved by changing the government faces," Geelani said. " During the past 68 years both the countries have held more than 150 rounds of talks with each other but all those processes have remained resultless."

The hardliner said that Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif if willing can write a new chapter in history of the world.

"Unresolved Kashmir dispute is the only reason which has constructed a wall of hatred, enmity and rivalries between both the countries and it is the only reason for the political uncertainty, instability and disorder in the whole South Asian," he said.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

Pro-Independent separatist leader Mohammad Yasin Malik while taking a dig on the Indian government over initiating dialogue process said from prime minister to lower ministers they engage in hardline rhetoric.

"Indian rulers are publicly pledging not to give any concessions on Kashmir and not to talk about resolving the dispute, " Malik said. "If there is no intention of making progress towards resolving issues what this hue and cry of talks and dialogue for?"

According to Malik, the customary process over the years was used for photo sessions and to hoodwink international and domestic opinion.

A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi' s rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of sending armed militants to Indian-controlled Kashmir, an accusation repeatedly denied by Islamabad. Endi