Hurriyat wants militants to join peace talks

The comments by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, came two days after the group agreed with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to establish a system to discuss solutions to the Kashmir dispute.

Hurriyat is an alliance of nearly two-dozen separatist political groups.

"Well definitely, once this process takes on, once we are able to have a blueprint, the Hurriyat can also try to get them on board ... (using) whatever influence we have," Farooq told Reuters in an interview.

Islamist militants fighting against New Delhi's rule in the Himalayan region since 1989 have in the past shunned India's overtures for talks because of New Delhi's pre-condition that they must first lay down arms.

The militants are also opposed to any compromise over the territorial dispute.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the insurgency so far in the region, which is also at the root of nearly 60 years of enmity between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan.

Farooq said the militants were not upbeat about the ongoing peace process between the Indian government and Hurriyat on the one hand and between India and Pakistan on a parallel track.

"It's a fact that most of them feel nothing is coming out of the process," said Farooq, speaking at a plush New Delhi apartment.

Farooq, who is also the hereditary chief Imam of Kashmir's main mosque, called this week's talks with the Indian prime minister as the first real dialogue between the two sides.

The alliance had held talks with Singh once earlier in September and had also negotiated with the previous Hindu nationalist-led coalition government.