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Indian-controlled Kashmir's ruling party appeals to engage with all stakeholders

Xinhua, August 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pro- India Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party in Indian- controlled Kashmir, appealed New Delhi on Tuesday to engage with all stakeholders in the restive region, with a similar approach it adopted with National Socialist Council of Nagaland.

"We appeal government of India to engage with all stakeholders in Kashmir with a similar approach, respecting their sentiments, culture and history and engaging them in a sustained dialogue with the utmost dignity," the PDP chief spokesperson Mehboob Beg said.

"The four-point formula arrived at during the Vajpayee-Musharaf regime could be used as a launching pad to achieve the desired results," Beg said.

Indian government on Monday signed a peace agreement with National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM, a separatist group in India's north eastern state of Nagaland, to end six decades of conflict.

The PDP welcomed the signing of the accord, which it termed " historic peace accord" between Indian government and separatists, saying it was a huge step towards the challenges being faced by India.

The PDP runs a coalition government in the region with full support of Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party.A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989.

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. Endi